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Marketing Insights & News
Escaping the quote trap: how to make your marketing work for you
Marketing is often wrapped in hype, but at its core, it serves one purpose: driving sales. Yet many freight forwarders unintentionally weaken their own marketing efforts, reducing sales effectiveness by as much as 30-70%, extending the sales cycle, and eroding profit margins. The sole reason you market your business is to boost sales, and you […]
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Creating award winning submissions
Trade awards provide valuable marketing opportunities, and the benefits go beyond just winning. Simply entering or being shortlisted for an award can boost brand visibility and attract new customers. Leveraging PR opportunities around trade awards – through enhanced logos, websites, social media, email signatures and email campaigns – increases your brand’s exposure and serves as […]
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How to be AMAZING
In competitive markets it’s tempting to be totally focused on new business development – but the real rewards are closer to home.
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Be the best; learn from the rest
After your customers, the people you should pay most attention to are your competitors.
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Are you selling beans?
When did the freight market become commoditised? Probably when, in the absence of any effective differentiation, buyers believed that freight products had become indistinguishable in terms of tangible features and capabilities.
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The forwarding performance gap
Over the last decade, the UK’s largest freight forwarders recorded a combined growth by sales of 67.5%, representing an average growth rate which is more than twenty times that of small forwarders. (Source: Plimsoll)
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Content marketing; too much, too little – too bad
Content marketing is not without challenge, as separate conversations last week with a leading global forwarder and a regional SME forwarder made clear.
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Email marketing is not without risk
There’s a reason why spam and messages that are irrelevant to us still clutter up our InBox: It works!
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You can be a thought leader
Thought leaders stand apart from the competition because they are informed, trusted, experts who inspire With thought and commitment you can be a leader.
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The personal pitch is the ANSWER
Many experts are pronouncing the demise of the elevator pitch in the digital and networking age. I think they’re right, but not for the reasons they put forward.
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Accelerate your growth
You know that new customers rarely come knocking, which is why you have invested in branding and your web site. There are another 30+ promotional activity categories and over 60% of them can be be implemented for little or no investment.
Read MoreMap your journey to success
Breaking down silos; Delivering a consistent customer experience.
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Sit at the top table with your prospects
Actualis engage with our clients’ professional and trade associations, which is why we are pleased to see our customer, Metro, become a member of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, to be closer to the beating heart of their key automotive vertical. For over 40 years Metro has been working with leading automotive brands, […]
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New flagship eCommerce hub for Noatum
Construction at Noatum Logistics’ latest eCommerce fulfilment hub is creating an additional 300,000 sq. ft. of operating space, with conveyor and garment rail systems between mezzanine floors and bespoke receiving and despatch areas, capable of processing 15,000 packets a day. Strategically located in the ‘Logistics Golden Triangle’ near Bedford, ePoint Biggleswade is 530,000 sq ft […]
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Do you really need a marketing plan?
Chances are you don’t have a marketing plan. In fact, unless you’re a large business, or seeking additional finance, you’re unlikely to have any business plan.
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Singing your praises
Winning a trade award is not the time to be coy or secretive. Ask our customers – we’ve helped them win many awards.
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Price war armour in a downturn
How do you protect your margins when the market is in a downturn and so many competitors are fighting for a larger share of a shrinking cake?
Read MoreClient wins prestigious freight award
For the second time in three years Actualis has helped Noatum Logistics win the Air Cargo Services category, at the British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) Freight Service Awards. BIFA is the trade body for the freight forwarding sector and their annual Freight Service awards are the most hotly-contested and respected, because they represent peer-to-peer recognition […]
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They won’t listen to you
I don’t know you and I certainly don’t want to upset you, but. There’s no easy way of putting this. No one cares what you say.
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Importance of marketing strategy
Marketing strategy is far more important than marketing activity Yet doing stuff – eShots, trade shows, ads etc – is what tends to happen first
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Why We Love Values (And You Should, Too!)
Branding is the fastest way to communicate who you are and what you offer. Your brand represents a promise. One that should be linked to your values and equally well understood.
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You’ll never compete on price again
How often do you find it difficult to get satisfactory service? Outsourced call centres, automated phone systems, customer service teams working off scripts or a total lack of contact details for on-line providers do not make for a great customer experience.
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Your ultimate press kit
A press kit (also called a media kit) is a résumé of you, your business and your services, designed to inform and create interest in the reader.
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2021’s supply chain communication challenges, set to continue
It’s never been more important to tell your customers what is happening in their supply chain. By sharing critical developments you are keeping the focus on them, showing them that you want to protect their business and value them as a customer. All of which strengthens your relationship and increases loyalty. Over the course of […]
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Client wins prestigious award
In the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, Noatum Logistics were announced winners of the Logistics Partner of the Year Category, with an original submission compiled by Actualis. The trade association Logistics UK is one of the biggest business groups in the UK and uniquely represents all of logistics, with members from the road, rail, […]
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Noatum Logistics short-listed in three key industry trade awards
Entering their first trade awards, since winning the British International Freight Association (BIFA) ‘Air Cargo Services Award’ in January 2020, Noatum Logistics has been shortlisted at the Supply Chain Excellence, Logistics UK and BIFA Freight Service awards. Publisher and events organiser, Akabo Media, is one of the most influential voices in supply chain, freight and […]
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Good to see you back Multimodal
After a break of more than two years the UK freight industry’s only dedicated conference and exhibition – Multimodal 2021 – returned to Birmingham’s NEC centre and, as we were with client’s just down the road, we took the opportunity to have some meetings and take a look around. While the various COVID lockdowns and […]
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Increasing customer loyalty and generating revenue
Developed and finessed over 15 years, Integro360 is the ultimate parcel, courier and inventory management solution. Truly simple and incredibly effective, it is a white-label platform that could be your new marketing opportunity and revenue stream. If you want to increase loyalty by adding value for existing customers, or start talking to more prospective customers, […]
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What Price Sea freight after 2021?
Experts from our client, Noatum Logistics, will join the The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport for a unique sea freight event, on the 9th September, which will consider the most perplexing issue facing UK importers of all sizes: What Price Sea freight after 2021? With the cost of shipping shipping rising to the highest […]
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How to profit from your added value
Global supply chains have never been under such pressure and the problems you help shippers overcome and the value-added expertise you provide have never been so valuable, which is why you should benefit from their value too.
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The fastest route to competitive advantage
Market segmentation is arguably the most powerful tool available for generating a distinct competitive advantage.
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Free Marketing Ideas – Part 3
The 3rd and final post in this series considers six more ways to generate free marketing activity.
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Free Marketing Ideas – Part 2
An earlier post on free marketing ideas considered the ways that we could leverage our customers to create a host of marketing opportunities. In the next two posts we’ll consider some of the other free marketing opportunities.
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Customers working for you? (Free Marketing Part 1)
We all want to be actively marketing our businesses and there’s plenty of free and low-cost activity for consideration, so don’t let a lack of budget hold you back.
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New site and positioning for Global Forwarding
Engaged to overhaul the web presence of this unassuming freight forwarder – a true hidden gem of capacity and capability – Actualis seized the opportunity to be bold and showcase Global’s many USPs, positioning them as BIG and ‘boutique’. We end 2020 with a look at the new web site created for our friends at […]
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2020 has been an interesting year
In the course of 2020, a year which will go down in history as one of the most challenging in decades, we produced close to 300 news articles to keep Metro’s customers aware of the news and seismic events impacting their supply chains. We sent 70 email news bulletins to share the 300 stories, with […]
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Client’s supply chain excellence recognised
Another Actualis client has been shortlisted for a prestigious trade award, with the submission and subsequent judges presentation created by the Actualis team. Publisher and Events organiser, Akabo media, is one of the most influential voices in supply chain, freight and logistics. Its annual Supply Chain Excellence awards uniquely feature clients and service providers, to […]
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Running coronavirus supply chains
Despite the continuing lockdowns in the UK and overseas, blanked voyages and grounded aircraft, Actualis clients are running coronavirus supply chains; planning, uplifting and transporting medical, PPE and non-essential cargo by air and sea.
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Coronavirus freight developments
While Asia-Europe container shipping lines are reducing capacity by idling vessels from May as volumes deteriorate with the collapse in demand, air freight rates have reached their highest ever levels, making Sea/Air solutions even more attractive for time-sensitive shipments, in the latest coronavirus freight developments.
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European road to Coronavirus recovery
The European Commission has announced a Joint European road to Coronavirus recovery, a plan aimed at leading the region back from the containment measures imposed on its member countries.
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Calming customers in the Coronavirus crisis
This article was first published in The Voice of the Independent and The Loadstar (Link below): Every business is vulnerable in this Coronavirus crisis. The days of burying your head in the sand and waiting for the storm to blow over are gone.
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Get ready to spread the news
As the government debate stronger ‘lockdown’ measures and MPs debate emergency laws designed to combat Covid-19, we consider one of the most complex crises to face us in generations and how to prepare positively for what is yet to come.
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Incoterms 2020 infographic now available in Chinese
The Incoterms 2020 infographic produced for the TT Club, in collaboration with BIFA, CILT, CIPS and global law firm HFW, is now available in Chinese.
Read MoreYour award winning checklist
Winning a trade award boosts employee morale, underlines your value to existing customers and raises your standing with prospective customers. It is NOT the time to be coy or secretive.
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Incoterms 2020 infographic produced for TT Club
An Incoterms 2020 infographic, focusing on the transfer of risk and associated risk elements, has been researched and designed by Actualis on behalf of TT Club, in collaboration with BIFA, CILT, CIPS and global law firm HFW.
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Clients celebrate double BIFA success
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) annual Freight Service Awards were held yesterday with Brunel Air Cargo in the Extra mile category and Noatum Logistics triumphant in the ‘Air Cargo Services’ category.
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Forwarders must combat carrier ‘data cartels’ to survive
This thought-leadership feature co-authored with forwarding guru Steve Walker has been published in the print edition of the Journal of Commerce Annual Review and Outlook 2020, on the JOC web site and featured in their global eBulletins.
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What we’ve been up to
In a busy couple of months we’ve had multiple award wins, clients short-listed for more awards, web site launches, rebrands, publicity and profile-building. We have four clients short-listed for seven BIFA Freight Service Awards in January and two of our clients won three awards and a highly commended at last month’s Global Freight Awards in […]
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How to win a BIFA Freight Service Award
You know the most effective way to boost employee morale, raise your profile with potential customers, benchmark your business as best-in-class and get credible independent endorsement, all for free…………
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10 steps to your awards success
We all like recognition. And customers like to know that potentials suppliers really can deliver for them. Entering trade awards boosts employee morale, underlines value to existing customers and raises your standing with prospective customers
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New Loadstar media pack
We are happy and excited to welcome Nick Marsh (former publisher of Lloyds Loading List) to his new role as Managing Director at The Loadstar, and very pleased to have produced Nick’s new Loadstar media pack.
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Unsworth rebrand featured by ACW
If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your branding, or wondered if there’s any need to change the way you look. This feature by Air Cargo Week, on our recent work with Unsworth Global Logistics, makes very clear how critical effective branding is to your future success.
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Air Cargo Week interview client
Not only is publicity free, but it is arguably the most effective way to build your profile, credibility and value, which is why Actualis seek positive press coverage opportunities, like this ACW profile on Steve Walker, the CEO of SWG Global.
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