CLIENT ACQUISITIONS
Feedback from existing clients highlighted that CAS’s current sales pipeline relies heavily on referrals, word-of-mouth, or continuation work generated from previous projects. This approach to sales requires carefully nurturing CAS’s reputation to enable easy referrals. The suggestion is to couple this with an updated and relevant portfolio to serve as distributable marketing.
The following sections detail areas that have been identified as mechanisms to further build and develop the existing excellent reputation and portfolio.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP STRATEGY
Thought leaders are informed opinion leaders or the go-to people in their field of expertise. They become the trusted sources who inspire people with innovative ideas and show others how to replicate their success. Over time, they create a dedicated group of followers to scale their ideas into sustainable change according to Denise Brosseau (2021).
Thought leadership is important for CAS because it unlocks and showcases a cutting-edge level of professional accomplishment and achievement. These accomplishments increase the strategic ability to attract clients to CAS services. Furthermore, it encourages followers to migrate to CAS online content. Thought Leadership exposes CAS ideas, which in turn leads to invitations to participate in industry committees, and events. There are also opportunities to receive awards. Being a thought leader will give CAS a global profile and create opportunities to inspire, impact, and affect change on a large scale.
The distribution of thought leadership content is one of the critical components of an effective initiative that CAS will undertake. There is a multitude of ways to distribute thought leadership content including:
- Speaker events, webinars
- Design competitions
- Articles and features in publications
- Blogs, LinkedIn, social media, and articles
- Website and portfolio
SPEAKER EVENTS AND WEBINARS
One of the most potentially effective distribution strategies for thought leadership content is public speaking. The ability to present well and connect meaningfully to prospective clients, students, and industry peers shouldn’t be underestimated according to Prince (2015). These platforms should be explored in a cost-effective way as CAS lacks the time and resources to develop and manage other distribution systems.
Insights and understanding can be shared over a plethora of events including breakfast meetings, workshops, conferences, webinars, and student lectures. These sessions will establish myself and CAS as an authority, and personal connectivity will lead to networking opportunities. Networking is a key way to generate new business opportunities and could develop into paid-for-speaker events which will generate additional revenue for CAS.
PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN COMPETITIONS
Design competitions promote innovation, creative excellence, and possibility. Winning such competitions brings forth prestige, confidence, recognition and exposure through press releases, and digital and media publications. Awards celebrations are a source of connection to industry peers and competition exposure can attract potential clients, and connect CAS with an overseas client base.
However, the downside is that submissions are costly and time-consuming. With this in mind, only the most credible and established competitions are viable options. The following awards have been identified as the best options to enter, based on high visibility and associated prestige.
Pentawards
The Pentawards website describes the awards as the leading, inspirational global platform and community for packaging design (Pentawards, 2022). Winners showcase some of the world's most innovative and inspiring work. Winners are posted on the Pentawards site with links to their site and are featured in the press throughout the world.
Pentawards is the most prestigious of the awards competitions and has the most potential to grow the CAS reputation and attract specific high-end brands and clients.
Entry Fees
- Early Bird - £345 per entry
- Regular - £395 per entry
Entry Deadlines
- 21 February – 18 March
Entry Categories that fit CAS
- Beverages
- Food
- Brand Identity & Connected Packaging
Fig. 1. Pentawards, 2022. Pentawards Logo.
DIELINE awards
The DIELINE website describes the awards as celebrating influential design, innovation, big ideas, and excellence in consumer product packaging (The DIELINE, 2022). The awards offer an extensive range of competition categories and unrivalled exposure opportunities to a global audience. The significance of this is exposure to potential clients through the leading packaging design website, DIELINE.com.
The fact that The DIELINE offers so many categories means that there is a realistic potential to win.
Entry Fees
- Early Bird - $275 per entry
- Regular - $375 per entry
Entry Deadlines
- November – 18 January
Entry Categories that fit CAS
- Food
- Beverage
- Visual Brand Identity’s
- Private Label
- Luxury
Fig. 2. The DIELINE Awards, 2022. The DIELINE Logo.
FEATURES IN DESIGN PUBLICATIONS
CAS aims to gain recognition by featuring portfolio work on big design sites. Furthermore, I want to broaden the scope by submitting articles and insight pieces for publication. This will grow CAS's reputation, establish connections with industry peers and potential clients, and build existing client relationships. Publications add credibility and validation, and exposure to a free press is a huge advantage.
Websites, blogs and publications CAS will target are:
The DIELINE
The leading global platform is used by a broad spectrum of industry professionals and submitted CAS work will gain the most exposure to a broader spectrum of global clients according to The DIELINE website (The DIELINE, 2022).
Packaging of the World
Packaging of the World is a prominent packaging design website, and I have in the past found that in contrast to The DIELINE, will more easily publish submitted CAS work for viewing by a global industry peer base.
Fig. 3. Packaging of the World, 2022. Packaging of the World Logo.
Behance
According to its website, CAS could grow its international client base by publishing work on Behance, the world’s largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work and talent (Behance.net, 2019. para1).
Fig. 4. Behance, 2022. Behance Logo.
It’s Nice That
An ambitious goal is for CAS work to feature on It’s Nice That platforms. It’s Nice That website says the platforms promote inspiration by championing the most exciting creative work through their website, social channels, event programs, and monthly talks series Nicer Tuesdays (It's Nice That, 2022). It’s Nice That reaches a global audience of over two million people.
Packaging Review
CAS aims to submit articles and a monthly column relevant to the industry for publication in Packaging Review. The focus will be on aligning CAS with this reputable South African design industry publication. By being featured in Packaging Review the hope is to grow an audience of clients and industry peers in the South African market.
LinkedIn
Publishing valuable content on the world's largest professional internet network, LinkedIn, will build the CAS brand, and develop CAS as an authority in the industry. Furthermore, connecting and strengthening professional relationships, improving brand visibility, and increasing engagement with potential clients and industry peers will increase brand exposure.
BLOG ARTICLES
With billions of people worldwide connected to the Internet, self-published online material will establish CAS as a thought leader. The idea is to build on CAS expertise and credibility and drive traffic to the CAS website.
WEBSITE AND PORTFOLIO
The CAS website and portfolio visually represent the business and provide evidence, verification, and reinforcement of skills, experience, and service offerings. These are critical elements of the business and serve as marketing and reference tools.
CAS currently invests heavily in the business portfolio, through professional shoots, styling, 3D rendering and creative copywriting. The result of this investment is a portfolio that’s visually competitive with global leaders.
Based on client research, CAS will revamp the website to feature the portfolio as the focal point. The website will also include new portfolio additions such as videos and the new brand identity. CAS will compare the outcomes with sites highlighted for their excellence in the competitor research, which will put the site on par with global leaders.
References
Brosseau, D. (2021). What is a Thought Leader? [Online] Thought Leadership Lab. Available at: https://thoughtleadershiplab.com/what-is-a-thought-leader/.
It’s Nice That (2022). It’s Nice That, About. [Online] Its Nice That. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/about.
LinkedIn Help. (n.d.). What is LinkedIn and How Can I Use It? [Online] LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a548441/what-is-linkedin-and-how-can-i-use-it-?lang=en.
LinkedIn (2016). 5 Compelling Reasons to Publish on LinkedIn. [Online] LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/content-marketing/5-compelling-reasons-to-publish-on-linkedin.
Packaging Of The World (2022). Home Page. [Online] Packaging Of The World. Available at: https://packagingoftheworld.com [Accessed 28 Apr. 2022].
Packaging Review (2022). About Us. [Online] Packaging Review South Africa. Available at: https://journals.co.za/journal/im.prsa [Accessed 29 Apr. 2022].
Packaging World (2022). Packaging World | Get The Fresh Lasting Quality Your Products Deserve. [Online] Packaging World. Available at: http://packagingworld.co.za [Accessed 22 May 2022].
Prince, R.A. (2015). The Importance Of Thought Leadership In Doing Business With The Ultra-Wealthy. [Online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/russalanprince/2015/02/09/the-importance-of-thought-leadership-in-doing-business-with-the-ultra-wealthy/?sh=21b8b5806eda [Accessed 29 Apr. 2022].
The Balances (2019). What is Blogging and How Can it Help my Home Business. [Online] The Balance Small Business Blog. Available at: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/blogging-what-is-it-1794405.
The DIELINE (2022). Home Page. [Online] the DIELINE. Available at: https://thedieline.com/? [Accessed 24 May 2022].
List of Figures
Figure 1. Pentawards (2022). Pentawards Logo. [Online Image] Pentawards. Available at: https://pentawards.com/live/en/page/home [Accessed 23 Jul. 2022].
Figure 2. The DIELINE Awards (2022). The DIELINE Awards Statue. [Online image] The DIELINE. Available at: http://dielineawards.com [Accessed 23 Jul. 2022].
Figure 3. Packaging Of The World (2022). Packaging of the World Logo. [Online Image] Packaging Of The World. Available at: https://packagingoftheworld.com/about [Accessed 23 Jul. 2022].
Figure 4. Behance (2022). Behance Logo. [Online Image] Behance. Available at: https://www.behance.net [Accessed 23 Jul. 2022].