Meet the marketing masters

In a new initiative to help you through a difficult year, the MA has pooled the resources of six leading industry experts

To say it has been a difficult year for the trade is an understatement. The smoking ban was quickly followed by a poor summer, food and beer prices are continuing on an upward spiral. We don't have Euro 2008 to look forward to. And to top it all, the Chancellor decides to impose the Budget from hell.

But with so many positive and unique aspects surrounding the pub experience — that no supermarket or living-room will ever match — it's time for the trade to act together to make these work to its advantage.

With Get 'em In, the MA has brought together some of the finest marketing minds the industry has to offer. Over the coming weeks and months, our panel of six experts will be on hand to answer any marketing issues you might have and help you to get plenty of customers back into your pub.

So if you want to know the best time to run a beer festival, or how to promote your pub effectively on the internet, contact ma.help@william-reed.co.uk, and we'll pass your questions on to our panel.

Here we find out a little more about the super six who will be on hand to help with your marketing needs:

Sarah Lewis, Diageo GB

Lewis's CV

Background

After gaining a first-class honours degree in marketing, Sarah Lewis worked for Mars Confectionery and Campbells in commercial and marketing roles in the UK and Europe. She joined Diageo in 1993 and held a number of senior roles, including on-trade sales director, before taking on the field sales role in 2007.

Areas of expertise

As field sales director, Lewis leads a team of more than 300 people who work with 60,000-plus outlets a year, sharing business- building ideas and helping licensees maximise profit opportunities from quality drinks.

She has been responsible for development and expansion of esp360 — the licensee and staff training programme that has trained staff from more than 20,000 pubs and bars.

Lewis says: "Quality can be pubs' and bars' defining point of difference. Licensees can offer things that can't be replicated at home, such as a perfectly-poured pint of Guinness at the right temperature in a branded glass, great-value home-cooked food and welcoming hosts.

"A focus on quality is hugely beneficial to the on-trade, as it will get people off their sofas and back into pubs and bars.

"I'm delighted to be part of the Get 'em In campaign. Working together, we can get people back into pubs."

Deborah Kemp, Punch Taverns

Kemp's CV

Background

Kemp's early career was at Bass, where she held a number of operational and property roles. She joined Punch in 1998 as investment director, and became property and development director, with involvement in several significant mergers and acquisitions. She was appointed managing director of Punch's leased division in March 2007, following her post as operations director for the south.

Areas of expertise

Kemp specialises in the leased and tenanted sector, from property and operational areas to marketing and sales support.

Kemp says: "The Punch Taverns team is passionate about safeguarding the future of the pub. We operate in a challenging, changing trading environment where we have to diversify and improve the quality of the experience we offer.

"We support our licensees in finding new ways of improving the retail experience in their pub. Licensees across our estate include those who have introduced essential local facilities, such as post offices and shops, increasing the number of people visiting the pub. This has re-established their pubs as the focal point of their communities.

"I look forward to examining key issues and focusing on how the industry can secure the future of the great British pub."

Paul Grace, Coca-Cola Enterprises

Grace's CV

Background

Paul Grace trained as a chef in 1988 after getting the hospitality bug in his parents' pubs. He continued to train through college and ran a hotel and a theme bar and restaurant before becoming a development chef for Samworth Brothers, at the start of the ready-meal revolution in the early '90s. He later went into national account sales before joining Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) 11 years ago.

Areas of expertise

Grace held numerous positions across sales at CCE before settling into the marketing team nine years ago. Apart from a spell managing Schweppes, Appletiser and Oasis, the majority of his time has been focused in the on-premise arena.

Grace says: "I am delighted to be part of this initiative and to help bring some positive answers at a time when we are all acutely aware of how difficult the trading environment has become for the trade. This MA programme is an opportunity for us to stop looking over our shoulders at legislation and come together to get more people into pubs.

"The upside of the smoking ban is that a whole new audience, including families, are starting to consider pubs for the first time. Collectively we can identify some practical ideas that are easy to implement, to ensure that these people keep coming back."

Graham Donald, Matthew Clark

Donald's CV

Background

After leaving school, Graham Donald worked full-time at Tennents in a large managed house in Glasgow's south side. He then went on to college, and during his summer holidays worked for Tennent Caledonian Breweries order department before taking up an on-trade sales position.

In 1989 he became an estate agent, but he couldn't keep away for long, joining Taunton Cider a year later. There he worked in on and off-trade marketing roles, before taking up similar positions in 1995 in what is now Constellation Europe.

Donald has been Matthew Clark marketing director for nine years — a role he describes as possibly the best marketing job in the on-trade.

Areas of expertise

Donald has experience across product categories and suppliers, specialising in direct marketing, brand and concept development and in-outlet promotional activity.

Donald says: "The concept of 'Get 'em In' has really caught my imagination. This positive initiative will help the industry that I've lived and breathed (and, of course, has paid my salary) for the past 25 years or so. Traffic, footfall, visits — whatever we choose to call it, is the challenge. Our strength lies in our diversity. If modern consumerism is about building desires, we're at least halfway there."

Imogen Pudduck, Red Bull

Pudduck's CV

Background

With more than 10 years' experience in sales & customer marketing, Imogen Pudduck started life working for toy manufacturer Hasbro before moving on to Polaroid cameras. There she worked in the grocery sector as national account manager for Asda and Tesco.

Pudduck has been Red Bull trade marketing manager for five years, a varied role that

has included managing the

re-launch of the Red Bull field sales team, the Red Bull Academy, as well as building a new customer marketing team from scratch.

Areas of expertise

Pudduck is now head of customer marketing across both on and off-trade, managing a team of 14 and a mix of disciplines including category management, insight and planning, activation, image development, innovation and design.

Pudduck says: "People are more marketing-savvy than ever, and traditional media is having less of an impact. More companies are recognising the value of investing in marketing initiatives that directly target the consumer in outlets.

"At Red Bull we tailor our marketing to the particular target audience, truly becoming part of the scene —and taking our approach to consumers in pubs is no different."

"The on-trade is ever changing and has seen some tough times due to reasons such as the smoking ban and responsible drinking concerns leading to an increase in 'at home' drinking. With ever increasing consumer expectation when socialising we have