England’s performances in Russia have spurred a new wave of optimism. It’s indicative of the invigorating effect that international competition can have. For business owners watching the game, the tournament might also inspire them to think bigger. With the UK’s exit of the EU set for March next year and rocky economic times ahead, ambitious businesses hoping to grow or improve might need to look abroad. And marketing can be the catalyst for that growth. It’s not just about communications or reaction. Marketing plays numerous, crucial roles in establishing, exploring, nurturing and closing opportunities, as this article explains.

We originally wrote this post way back in 2016, a lifetime in social media years. Since then, LinkedIn has been acquired by Microsoft and the platform has undergone some significant changes. It’s time for a fresh look at what’s changed.

  GDPR is going to change the face of marketing - and mostly for the better. In many ways, the new data protection laws will encourage businesses to adopt best practice, and strongly discourage the quick-fix approaches that often give marketing a bad name.

Imagine for a second you were suping up a D-reg Vauxhall Nova with the sole aim of making it go as fast as possible. If you were smart, you’d probably start with the engine, fine tuning it to ensure maximum performance. You might look at the wheels, the bodywork, you might shift out some of the seats because, well, it’s about performance not looks. Whatever the plan, you wouldn’t start with go faster stripes and a new paint job.

“I regard [rebranding] as the most asymmetrical corporate strategy of them all. There is literally no upside...there is only pain if you get it wrong. And inevitably it goes wrong a lot of the time.” So said columnist and marketing professor Mark Ritson in a recent article for Marketing Week.