Client: East Devon AONB/East Devon District Council

Project Brief: 

“Study of East Devon Business Advice and Support Services”

The objective of this project was three fold:

1.   To make an assessment of existing Business Advice and Support Services targeted at rural business in East Devon

2.   To consult widely across the rural business community to establish the perception of existing services and how business believed they can best work with the District Council in the future to deliver relevant and effective services

3.  To Report findings and   recommendations for future action.

Outcomes: 

The project delivered successfully on all three areas, within budget and timescale.  The final Report is now part of a wider review of Economic Development within the District which will form the basis for the District Council’s utilisation of new funding streams for rural economic communities.

Client Testimony: 

“On behalf of the East Devon AONB Partnership, Hoop Associates carried out a study into the business advice services provided by East Devon District Council and the AONB. The work encompassed working with local authority staff, local businesses, land owners and advice networks as well as conducting comparative assessments of other local authority provision.

The results of the work provide some interesting options for consideration by the District Council and will help shape the future direction of both its services and those of the East Devon AONB.

We were very pleased with Hoop Associate's professional attitude and approach; they also completed the contract on time and to budget... a job well done.”

Chris Woodruff, Project Officer East Devon AONB Team.  July 2005

Client:  Exmoor Organic

Exmoor Organic is a farm-based enterprise producing award winning goose and duck both to the public and direct to national retail outlets.

Project Brief:

1.   To develop a strong brand identity for Exmoor Organics range of organic goose and duck. 

2.   To design and implement a brochure suitable for both public and trade markets.

Outcomes:

Following consultation with the client a brand-identity was created that was felt to be a strong, simple image, easily recognisable and able to scale up and down for the different marketing applications from product labeling to exhibition graphics.

A full colour brochure was produced in two versions, one for public use and one for retail trade use.   

The project was completed to budget and timescale.

Client: Quicke’s Traditional

Quicke’s Traditional is an established West Country cheese producer.  They produce cheese from their own dairy herd.  The cheese is sold worldwide and has won numerous international awards.

Project Brief:

Quickes invited HOOP to look at its current marketing activity and make comment as HOOP felt necessary.

Outcomes:

We made a number of recommendations to Quickes with regards areas of developing their Marketing Strategy from its current position.  However, the main observation centred around the need for objective assessment and recognition of the strengths of Quickes Traditional relative to other cheese producers.  As owner managers of a established and significant family business, familiarity had, to an extent, produced complacency about just how good the product was.  HOOP recommended that recognition of Quickes “World Class” status would inform its marketing strategy, motivate its workforce, and generally set the “bar high” when the company looked at its goal for the future.

Client Testimony:

“Catherine [Broomfield] contributed the statement of vision of ‘World Class Cheese’ to our business which has become a driving force in the way that we have developed the whole business. This culminated in our winning 2 trophies in the World Cheese Awards, London 2005 from our commitment to fulfill on ‘World Class Cheese’

Mary Quicke, Director, Quickes Traditional.  June 2005

Client:  Westlake Orchards

Westlake Orchards in a small farm-based enterprise producing organic and traditional apple juice, cider and cider vinegar. They have established a reputation for excellent quality and have now won numerous awards.

Project Brief:

There was no project brief as such.  The owners recognised they needed to get their business into the right shape to enable it to grow.  There was a lack of structure and strategy.  The first task was to asses the current status quo, and from there to work with the client to formulate a Business Action Plan

Outcomes:

The project outcomes were in a number of key areas: 

1.   Business Management:  A Financial Management and Record Keeping System was created and implemented. As with many family businesses, there was no real formal structure to daily management of the business.  Working with spouses can sometimes make objective decision making more difficult.  Taking this into account, a structure for operating and managing the business was devised, agreed and implemented to simplify and clarify the organisation and management of the business. 

2.   Development of Marketing Strategy:  To date, growth of market share had been largely reactive rather than pro-active.  Working in consultation with the client, HOOP Associates reviewed the existing marketing and sales situation.  A Marketing Strategy was devised to focus on key market segments.  Geographic sales distribution was scattered and ineffective for both cost and time input.  Sales distribution was rationalised and zoned in order to build profitable and sustainable geographic sales areas.

Client: SW REG Group East Devon Farmers

This group of approx. 20 East Devon Farmers was brought together by Mike Warren Agricultural Consultancy.  Using SW-REG funding, a number of information-gathering events were organised to help them consider ways of maximising the return from their farm-based enterprises.

Project Brief: 

To deliver a bespoke marketing-based seminar looking at the key drivers to successful farm diversification projects. The Group comprised  mixed levels of skills and experience in this area and farm types were also very varied.  The seminar needed to be pitched at a level where all participants could find something relevant to their business situation.  Content needed to be covered within a three hour timeframe as the group could only meet in the evenings.

Outcomes:

“Up Close and Personal – Marketing your farm, your produce and yourself direct to the public”  was the resulting name and theme of the seminar.  Key topics covered included:  Benefits and risks of getting closer to the market, Developing a marketing strategy, Pricing as a marketing tool not just a function of cost, Selling – how to be heard, Appraising routes to market for your business. 

The seminar was delivered in an informal atmosphere with plenty of group participation. Concise course notes were given to each member of the group at the close of the evening.

Client Testimony

Client Testimony came unsolicited by email the day after the seminar:

Dear Catherine,

Brilliant. What super content & delivery. Very positive remarks from the farmers. We all have take-home messages to think about. The cautions are as useful as the positives for many. Eventually got away at 11.10, that is the measure of a good meeting.

Many thanks, will be in touch.

Mike (Warren)