We often express the view that there is “No magic wand” for marketing, and my favorite cartoon is still: 
So I thought the time was right to bang that drum again. Whatever cliche you use to describe it, marketing is a ….
- Process not an event
- Marathon not a sprint
- Strategic process not a quick fix
The fact is that good marketing takes time and to be successful, needs to be applied consistently against the backdrop of a solid vision. As a case study on this, I would like to talk about another organisation in which I am involved with objectives totally separate from my “day job” at BSA Marketing. The organisation is “The Glossopdale Trust”. Incorporated in June 2012 the Glossopdale Trust works in and around Glossop (my home town) with the objecting of developing the music and arts scene within the town as a catalyst to economic development. This is a project that has been going for around 5 years. It has a clear vision:
"To support the economic development of Glossop through the promotion of music and the arts"
It also has a clear 2 stream strategy:
- Long Term – To create a focal point for the Glossop arts/music scene in the form of an Arts Hub owned & run by the community
- Short Term – To build capacity and develop the the scene through an annual community music festival
Over the past few years, we have used different approaches to the marketing of this initiative, underpinned by a consistent use of website, email & social media. Furethermore we maintain a consistent approach to measuring progress including:
- Traffic to the website – www.whatsoninglossop.com
- Photos from the events
- Press coverage about the events & the campaign to open a venue
- Review of social media activity
Through the long term monitoring of these metrics, we can assess the movement towrds the overriding Goals.
So How are we doing?
Web Traffic
Whilst looking for increasing web traffic over the short term can be challenging and inconclusive, looking at the statistics over the longer term using 2015 as a base, we can see a growth in traffic and the quality of visits year on year: 
Photographic Evidence
Comparing photos from the event in 2011 and the 2017 Festival 
It is clear to see the development in what we are doing.
Press coverage
With little or no press coverage in the early days, 2017 saw two front pages, and numerous other coverage in local press. A couple of examples are given below: https://glossopchronicle.com/2017/04/summer-festival-fun-coming-to-glossop/ https://glossopchronicle.com/2017/08/bank-holiday-music-festival-coming-to-glossop/
The Broader Picture
That all suggests that the short term strategy is working, but what about the impact on the long term objectives? Again indications are that the activity to date is positively impacting the project. 2017 has seen increased commitment to the project by the local council, including their direct support for the festivals and into a bid to the HLF (Heritage Lottery Fund) for significant development funds. Whilst on first application this bid has been unsuccessful, the feedback was that they festivals & development of the market were key positives in the eyes of the HLF. Further suggesting that the adopted strategies & marketing tactics are paying dividends.
So what does this tell us
Looking in the short term at any individual marketing initiative, it is difficult to tell exactly what is being effective. But look at the long term evidence and it is clear that the project is going in the right direction. We are making progress towards achieving the goals set out.
It is the combination of a clear vision and a consistent strategy for delivering this vision that is the key to success, rather than focus on short term marketing metrics.
However monitoring these short term metrics (delivered through tools like Google Analytics) is key to ensuring that you are on the right track. The issue arises when these optimising these metrics in the short term become the ultimate goal rather than a tool for monitoring progress towards longer term objectives & strategies.
