Developing a thought leadership positioning for Newport

The Task 
Newport Consulting is a leading Australian operational management consultancy dedicated to helping its clients achieve operational excellence. In a market that is very crowded, being heard and seen is key for survival, as is overcoming the many negative connotations that  the term “consultant” carries in the business world – i.e. astronomical fees and little value. We were tasked with devising a brand and marketing strategy that would see Newport grow and expand in the management consultancy market in Australia and New Zealand.

M&C Solution
A dynamic and challenger-type brand positioning that sees Newport as an alternative choice to the larger players by providing a more flexible and engaging service where the client and their individual needs dictate the solution.

To bring this to life, we have worked extensively with Newport over the last three years providing integrated marketing, brand and PR solutions. We have not only developed the company’s brand model and strategic marketing plan, we have carved out a thought-leadership positioning through high-profile inititiatves such as The Productivity Hub.

One of the key initiatives that we have introduced is Newport’s ‘Current State of Play’ business survey. Launched in 2009, the business survey monitors the pulse of the business community on issues such as business confience, the economic outlook, the labour market outlook and other key issues and has been a great success. It has delivered interesting findings that have been highly relevant for Newport’s customers as well as the media. We continue to do this on behalf of Newport Consulting on an annual basis.

The Productivity Hub, an online site dedicated to lifting productivity, is another thought leadership initiative that we have developed for Newport from concept through to creative design, website development and promotion. We are the Coordinator of the site and the key champion.

Success
We have secured extensive media coverage as part of the strategy to position Newport with a voice in the sector. This includes a number of interviews on Sky Business News and a number of articles in The Australian Financial Review, BRW, Management Today, AICD’s Boardroom Report and ICCA’s Charter Magazine. Newport has gone from having no media profile, to now being a thought-leader on key business issues and in the area of operational excellence.

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