Because Marketing Matters

Birthday blues? Not for Network VEKA

In the past few years, I’ve written regularly in Window Industries about just about every aspect of marketing – from ads to brand building and lead generation to strategy, planning and research, with everything that falls between. The basic principles remain, however, remain the same.

Marketing is at the heart of every successful business. It’s what strengthens your strategy; what you use to develop new products and target new markets, what makes you stand out, and what helps you sell. It tells you who your customers are and what they want – and then ensures you deliver that.

Marketing has helped the Network, and its members, grow in a sustainable way. Most business don’t last five years – but we’re celebrating our 15^th anniversary this year, and that’s down to three things: our passion for excellence (in products and installation), our commitment to consumer satisfaction, and our zeal for communicating these values clearly, and above all consistently.

Membership is still growing, but we take pains to ensure that quality remains high, weeding out weaker members who can’t consistently perform to our high standards. Those standards are set by members themselves: this is not a registered installer scheme and the democratic nature of the Network sets us apart. By working together and sharing experiences and knowledge, members are well-placed to face the challenges ahead.

Network VEKA works. Our proposition – to ensure that consumers are treated with the professionalism they deserve, is still relevant today, and still welcomed. Lead generation is growing, while trade fabricators who supply installers in and outside the scheme tell us that those in the Network do better.

The average installed value has remained stable at around £3,500 – consistently higher than the industry average. In the next 12 months we expect to register our 200,000 customer and pass the £700 million mark for installed value of products fitted by members.

The icing on the (birthday) cake

We started with a 10 year water-tight guarantee, with literature and point-of-sale materials, and training, auditing, PR support in local papers and advice on websites and the like, as well a customer satisfaction form to complete the loop. But continuous development is part of the marketing process too. The latest new initiative, our new Competent Persons Scheme, Assure, doesn’t just save members time and money; it’s an acknowledgement of our high standards and lends us added credibility.

It hasn’t been easy though. What makes our marketing work is the commitment to see our ideas and investment through. Over the years, other organisations have launched registered installer schemes, but they haven’t invested in the engine, the systems and the unswerving effort needed to grow an organisation like this. Network VEKA has been a constant – and we aim to remain so for the next 15 years.