ERS Hub case study

The challenge 

As a new entrant in the electrification space, the ERS Hub needed strategic marketing support to build strong brand foundations and establish its presence in a competitive market. They sought a comprehensive 3-year strategic marketing plan that would provide insights into market dynamics, identify target sectors, select the most impactful promotional channels, analyse competitors, and set measurable goals. 

In addition, the ERS Hub needed to generate awareness and enhance visibility, particularly for their inaugural annual conference and platform launch, which were crucial for establishing their reputation and attracting key stakeholders.

The solution

Carter Consulting collaborated closely with the ERS Hub to develop a 3-year marketing strategy delivered through a PowerPoint presentation of approximately 80 slides. The strategy encompassed a thorough situational analysis, clear objectives, a 3-year plan, innovative marketing tactics, necessary capabilities, and an effective performance measurement framework. Furthermore, Carter Consulting provided in-depth insights into individual campaigns and a 1-year detailed marketing calendar. 

The plan included: 

1. Macro-environment research: Analysing opportunities, market size and growth potential 
2. Micro-environment research: Conducting interviews with 18 internal/external stakeholders, competitor analysis, developing buyer personas and mapping the customer journey 
3. Objective planning: Setting sales and marketing objectives 
4. Strategy: Addressing marketing challenges, identifying focus areas, defining winning aspirations and developing a 3-year plan 
5. Tactics: Creating content pillars, determining marketing channels and designing campaigns 
6. Action: Identifying internal capabilities, systems, processes and staffing requirements 
7. Control: Establishing marketing KPIs and metrics for measurement

Learn more about our marketing strategy here 

Event support: 

For the ERS Hub’s launch event, Carter Consulting was pivotal in securing participants by identifying target attendees, creating email templates, and coordinating outreach through HubSpot. We managed the public relations agency to achieve excellent media coverage across the UK and handled social media coverage before, during, and after the event. 

Podcast: 
 
Carter Consulting expanded its content marketing strategy by launching the podcast 'Switching on Electrified Skills.' This initiative not only positioned ERS Hub as a thought leader but also served to educate the target audience, building a deeper connection with potential customers. 

To successfully launch the podcast, Carter Consulting took the following steps: 

• Collaborated with the ERS Hub to define the podcast's objectives, target audience, and content strategy 
• Developed a production process including scripts, recording, editing, and branding the podcast 
• Designed a distribution and promotion plan, relying on channels like social media and email marketing to maximise reach and engagement
  
  

The results 

By partnering with Carter Consulting, the ERS Hub developed a marketing strategy aligned with its business objectives, optimised resource allocation, and facilitated decision-making, driving growth and success. 

The successful execution of the ERS Hub’s launch event significantly amplified its reach within the electrification community. Following this success, Carter Consulting was entrusted with ongoing management of the ERS Hub’s marketing strategy for 6 months, including social media, content, email marketing, podcast management, and campaign launches. From 

Our management of the ERS Hub’s LinkedIn page produced notable results from April 2022 to October 2023, including a 96% increase in page engagement rates, a 550% increase in comments, and a sixfold increase in post clicks, dramatically boosting brand exposure. 

Carter Consulting also produced and published 12 episodes of the "Switching on Electrified Skills" podcast, featuring influential guests and generating significant engagement. The podcast has consistently driven brand awareness, with over 500 monthly Spotify impressions, solidifying ERS Hub’s position as a thought leader in electrification. Notably, the impressions click-through rate on YouTube increased by 176.47% over the lifetime of the data collected, demonstrating a significant improvement in audience engagement and the effectiveness of the content in capturing viewers' interest. 

Through comprehensive marketing support, Carter Consulting helped the ERS Hub establish a strong market presence, drive engagement, expand its network, and solidify its leadership in the electrification community.

“When you take a significant project from concept to launch and then through to national scale up as an innovation leader, the vision you have for your project is clear in your mind but not always ready to showcase to the wider world. Juliet and her team have been instrumental in building a well thought out marketing strategy that helped my team bring a proactive and targeted driven approach to launching and scaling the Electric Revolution Skills Hub. The time taken to understand the complexities of the project and the ability to mould that into a user-friendly strategy has accelerated our goals as an organisation.” 

Deepak Farmah, Head of Innovation, Coventry University and Commercial Director, ERS Hub