Prof. Vish maheshwari, Associate dean and professor of marketing
It is that
time of the year again when festivities are in full swing for the imminent
arrival of Christmas. There is a special feeling around mostly ‘merry’ but with
a touch of somewhat uncertainty about few other developments that I would like
to avoid discussing on this occasion!!
However, concentrating on the interesting #racetowin approach from most retailers to acquire as much customer interest, awareness and conviction (in the form of business), it is fascinating to see and experience how power of branding and varied marketing communication strategy is put in action.
From emotion
to cognition, symbolic to functional and logical, social to societal aspects,
but all with a touch of empathy, being crafted by retailers to connect with
their customers at the time of this wonderful festive season. Below are some of
the examples to understand application and delivery of brand essence through
impactful storytelling:
McDonalds’ Christmas
advert portrays close bond between Archie the imaginative reindeer and a young
girl called Ellie, displaying the love and togetherness for families.
(Image: McDonald’s)
As usual much
awaited each year, John Lewis (and Waitrose) advert this time aims at combining
the sense of joy, love, compassion, excitement and friendship between a little
girl Ava and a young dragon called Edgar.
(Image: John Lewis & Partners/PA)
Whereas, Boots
have focused its advert around practicalities and struggle to find the right
gift for your loved ones and is part of its wider festive campaign ‘Gift Like
You Get Them’. This is alongside the launch of its new and creative approach
through developing various personas to find perfect gifts using curated edits
online called Boots ‘Boutique’ covering both offline and online platforms.
On the other
hand, the online retailer Very.co.uk has focused its Christmas campaign around
important aspect of community spirit promoting a powerful message of social
responsibility and sharing the joyfulness of festivities by ‘act of giving’ and
collectiveness.
Finally, it’s the return of Amazon’s singing boxes again for third year in a row but with a better emotional touch where the delivery of Christmas gifts through these boxes claim to play an important part in bringing smiles for your loved ones and create wonderful festive memories.
The examples above demonstrates that the concept of delivering brand essence and identity through meaningful interactions. Using relevant messages helps in connecting with customers through different attributes across all channels of integrated marketing communication. It also develops a recognisable brand image for recollection and reconnection with a positive impact and assured conviction during ‘selection/choice making’ stage as part of buying behaviour process. It reinforces the power of brand and branding that goes beyond mere physical and experiential attributes of a product or service.
To end – it is important to assert what philosopher Stephen King once stated that ‘products can be quickly outdated but a successful brand is timeless’
From the 18-24November, Global Entrepreneurship Week inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities…Continue reading
June Dennis, Dean of Staffordshire Business School
We’ve been celebrating Global Enterprise Week at Staffordshire Business School this week and have welcomed some fantastic guest speakers. What’s been very evident is
that there is no one reason or way to start your own business – each guest
speaker has had a uniquely individual journey and experience. In some
instances, they have fallen into self-employment, in others, it was a well
thought through and planned decision to do so.
So what makes a successful entrepreneur?
There are so many lists out there that can offer you the top 3 or 7 or 20 traits you must have to be a successful entrepreneur. This is my list based on what our guest speakers shared this week!
Passion & determination – if you are to succeed, you need to be
passionate about your business proposition.
What’s the point of setting up a business in something you don’t like or
believe in? However, passion alone will
not be enough. It really does help if
you love what you do, but you need to be prepared for setbacks. I can promise you that things won’t go as
smoothly as you hoped. There will be times when you question whether you did
the right thing. That’s when you need to
be resilient and, as they say, ‘keep calm and carry on’.
Strong work ethic & self starter – when you work for yourself, it’s very easy to have a lie-in when you don’t feel like working without realising that time is your most precious commodity. Even when you don’t feel it, you have to push yourself to make that phonecall, finish the report or knock on the door. You need to be disciplined. One friend, when he didn’t have any work, used to go to the cinema or meet friends for a coffee. Another friend would purposely post leaflets around the neighbourhood to promote his business. Can you guess which one was most successful?
…but also a good finisher – basically, you won’t get paid until you
finish the job. And, you need to finish
the job in good time. So don’t
procrastinate. Sometimes, ‘good enough’
is better than not getting the job done in time. You won’t get repeat business
if you don’t deliver on time.
Creativity – you don’t necessarily have to have a new-to-the-world invention or be able to design amazing advertising campaigns, but you do need to be a good problem solver and find ways around problems that come your way. That’s being creative!
Keep an eye out for opportunities – Be a purposeful networker. You don’t have to be an extravert to develop a supportive network and you never know what’s around the corner! Nearly every contract I received resulted in further business, either from the same organisation or as a result of them passing my details on to a third party. For example, as a result of writing Mintel reports, I was contacted by the chief executive at the time asking if I could act as an expert witness in a court case. The timing wasn’t great and I had to juggle domestic commitments and workload but saying yes to this one phone call provided me with the opportunity to be one of a handful of special marketing experts – and it paid well!
Know your worth – friends may ask for freebies or big
discounts sometimes with the promise that you’ll get lots of publicity. If they value you, they will pay for your
services or goods. Occasionally, they
may be able to offer you something in kind, such as your first review or office
space. I got a free hair cut from my hairdresser
when we spent the time it took to cut my hair discussing how he could improve
his pricing policy. It was win-win and
neither of us took the other person’s services for granted. As an expert
witness, I realised no one queried how much I was charging, so I increased my fees
by £50-£75/day for each new quote. I
never got turned down….
And finally,
Be prepared to learn – constantly! If you weren’t successful in getting a contract – find out why. If you made a mistake, learn from it. Get feedback whenever you can and look at ways to develop new skills.
As we enter November and preparations for Global Entrepreneurship Week begin around the World, Angela Lawrence, Associate Dean of Staffordshire Business School reflects on sporting success, failure and the qualities of a successful entrepreneur
Mention the title entrepreneur and who do you think of? Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Anita Roddick? These famous names are just the tip of the iceberg – actually there are 582 million entrepreneurs in the world. So with a world population of 7.7 billion, this means that there is approximately a 1 in 13 chance that you are or will become an entrepreneur!
Whilst cheering the England boys along in the Rugby World Cup recently, it has occurred to me that our team offers a few tips for budding entrepreneurs. England last won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, so the battle continues after 16 years of knock backs and failed efforts. Disappointment in the finals, losing against the Springboks shouldn’t lessen acknowledgement of the victory that we saw just one week earlier, when England beat the All Blacks to claim their place in the finals.
So, what can the budding entrepreneur learn from a team of brawny sportsmen who crashed out at the final hurdle?
1. Never give up
The odds were against our England boys in the semi-finals against the All Blacks, but they stood proud and strong as they faced their nemesis, determined not to give up or let the competition threaten them.
Even after suffering a crushing defeat in the finals the England team should take time to recognise what they have achieved over the course of the competition. As coach Eddie Jones said after the game, they “didn’t meet their goal to be the best team in the World, but they are the second best team in the World, so that’s how they should be remembered”.
Nothing is impossible. At times you will probably make wrong decisions, feeling like everything is going against you, but when the chips are down you need to stand strong – pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again. It’s all about resilience and the ability to bounce back from adversity.
2. Everyone needs a team
Individually you can be brilliant, but with the support of a strong team you can be amazing! As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work! The phrase is said to be coined by John Maxwell, an American clergyman, who went on to say, “but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team”. Even the most successful entrepreneur has a team around them and it is often the hard work and determination of the team that makes sure the entrepreneurial dream becomes a reality.
England captain Owen Farrell converted some magnificent tries throughout the competition, but the ability to kick a peculiarly shaped ball between two goal posts would not win a match without the hard work of his teammates, battling the opposing side tirelessly and creating opportunities for conversion.
3. Don’t be intimidated
Starting out as an entrepreneur, there will always be people who will tell you that you’re wrong, you’ve no idea, you’re living in cloud cuckoo land! It’s important to have the courage of your convictions and not to be deterred. You have a vision and you need to hold true to that – don’t be put off or intimidated by others. Face your fears, hold your head high and believe in yourself.
The Haka, a ceremonial dance complete with angry faces, stamping of feet and what could be perceived as threatening growls, was performed as expected prior to the England versus All Blacks semi-finals in the Rugby World Cup. The England team stood strong, forming a v-shaped formation and showing that they were not intimidated in any way. Their response, as reported in The Guardian said “Challenge laid down, challenge accepted”
We wouldn’t expect a professional team to play an energetic and bruising game like rugby, day after day without giving their bodies time to rest. World cup tournaments are planned to allow rest days between games, in recognition of the fact that teams need to rest and reform. A week between the semi-finals and the finals in the Rugby World Cup gave the England team time to recover, rest and prepare themselves mentally and physically for the all important culmination of years of training.
Creative thinking, invention, innovation and challenging the norm can be hard work. There will be days when everything falls apart and your risks are costly, times when you feel you can’t go on. It’s at times like these that you need to take time out to rest. Downtime is crucial – learning how to balance work and rest is essential to avoid burnout.
About Global Entreprenuership Week:
From the 18-24November, Global Entrepreneurship Week inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities…Continue reading
Staffordshire Business School has been awarded funding to support 50 microbusinesses to engage with technology to boost their productivity.
Staffordshire Business School is part of a consortium of business schools accredited by the Small Business Charter for their expertise in supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs who will deliver the programme. The Leading to Grow Programme will be offered at no cost to microbusinesses across Staffordshire.
Image: The Leading to Grow programme will run from January
Businesses that employ up to nine people will be able to apply to take part in workshops around how to use existing technologies to improve efficiency and profitability.
The funding has been made available through the government’s £8m Business Basics Programme run by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK.
Hazel Squire, Head of Department at Staffordshire Business School, said:
“As a digital University, this learning is an essential part of our offer to students and we’re delighted to be able to run The Leading to Grow Programme for small businesses in our region who may not have had access to this level of training and expertise.
This is in keeping with our Civic University commitment as it will ultimately enable businesses to grow and become more successful and have a positive impact on skills and the region’s economy. The programme will run from January and we are inviting interest from small businesses in our region who fit the criteria.”
Due to the small size and the dispersed nature of microbusinesses, they have not routinely received planned interventions by government agencies. The government is now targeting this type of business due to their potential and readiness to scale-up, and this is the first time that such a programme has been coordinated across the country.
The UK’s 1.1 million microbusinesses employ over 4 million people and contribute £533bn to the UK economy. The business schools, the Small Business Charter and the government hope to make a real impact on this important part of the economy.
Anne Kiem, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: “We are excited to be working with business schools to help improve the productivity of a range of microbusinesses. The pace of technological advances means that today’s small firms who embrace innovation will be tomorrow’s success stories.”
To register your interest in the Leading to Grow programme, email Eloise White at Staffordshire Business School on Eloise.White@staffs.ac.uk
Dr Mohammad Ali Wasim, Lecturer, Staffordshire Business School
In this time of uncertainty where Brexit is looming round the corner there is some form of relief for international students who make their way to the UK for higher education. Despite paying a significantly higher fee they end up being unable to find work due to strict visa restrictions which make it difficult for companies to sponsor their work visas. Experts argue that this was a smart move by the government given the fact that post Brexit there could be a significant impact on the labour market and to cater to the potential shortage the post study work permit would be a ‘win, win’ scenario. The employers would be able to fill the gaps with UK qualified international students and the international students would get an opportunity to benefit from UK work experience.
It is difficult to evaluate at this stage the impact the visa regime would have as a further analysis on the impact of Brexit on different industries needs to carried out. In hindsight when the visa regime was made stricter during the tenure of Theresa May as Home Secretary in 2012, the UK found it difficult to recruit international students and the students then preferred Australia and other EU countries over the UK. Experts argue that the full benefit of the scheme would be observable once the new visa regime comes into operation in 2020 and how it pans out for the benefits of the students and whether it is extendable beyond two years. A longer term opportunity would be beneficial for both the potential UK employers and their international student employees. This scenario also needs to be looked at keeping in mind the excessively high visa and its extension fee which the international students will have to bear when shifting to the new regime.
Staffordshire University has a significant influx of international students every year and this new visa regime would help secure more international candidates who would not only add to the diversity at the University enhancing student learning but also contribute to the local economy where initially students may participate through part time jobs to gain experience. In addition, employers would also have an advantage as they will have a bigger pool of resources to recruit and potentially benefit from.
Like any government policy, consistency is the key to its success. With changing governments and their fluctuating policies the impact of potentially beneficial schemes may be limited. The hope is that given the circumstances and uncertainty due to Brexit, the return of the post study work permit would be a permanent policy decision and not impacted by the outcome of the Brexit deal. Otherwise it would be considered more of a political gimmick to gain short term support and appease the disgruntled public because of the Brexit uncertainty.
Greetings! My name is Fang Zhao. I’ve recently started my new post as Associate Dean – Research and Enterprise at Staffordshire Business School, Staffordshire University. I look forward to getting connected and work with you in the areas of digital transformation strategy.
Prior to joining Staffs, I was a team member in Yellagonga Wetlands Smart Monitoring Project awarded under Australian Government Smart Cities and Suburbs Program in 2018 (Total Project funding: AU$ 2.05 million). My current research focuses on digital strategy in entrepreneurship and Smart Cities strategy and community engagement. I have led and completed a large number of research projects funded by governments, industry/business and universities, including Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant and Australian Federal Government grant.
Being a global citizen and a strong advocate for international mobility and education, I have extensive MBA and other management education and teaching experience in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Fiji, and the United Kingdom.
In this blog you can find links to all of our courses and social media pages
Updated april 2025
The Catalyst Building – Leek Road houses the Business School
Staffordshire Business School, as part of the university’s Department of Technology, Innovation and Business (DTIB), offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, apprenticeship and professional business programmes, delivered either full-time, part-time or via blended and distance learning. More information on each individual subject and course can be found below:
Prof. Jon Fairburn, Prof. Carola Boehm and Prof. Jess Power work togther on interdisciplinary issues including creative cultures, innovation and new business models. If you are interested in these issues the three professors are running an ERASMUS Staff international week 20-24th January 2020 to discuss linking creative cultures to business. Details on the link
They have recently submitted a large (several million euros) bid to examine the re-use of heritage buildings by creative and innovative industries in four second order cities across Europe.
Jess Power has a particular interest in the new materials and techniques that are being used in the textiles industry. Here she provides a report in what she found in one of our partner cities on the bid.
Prof Jess Power
Re-purposing space is something that Municipio de Guimaraes (District Council of Guimaraes, Portugal) does with sensitivity and grace. Guimaraes, the 13th largest city in Portugal, is a story of success – it has transformed into a modern contemporary city whilst retaining its cultural heritage and identity.
The area in the Northern region of Portugal remained largely untouched with only natural evolution occurring within the city’s architecture until the 1970s. This is clearly evident in the adaption and modification of buildings throughout the ages. This rich tapestry of period evolution is demonstrated beautifully in the building of Largo de Sao Francisco (once a convert/monastery) now used as a hospital. Some parts of this building date back to 1255 (Figure 1)
Figure 1 – Guimaraes
Historically Portugal had one of the strongest textile industries in Europe. The Guimaraes region was known specifically for its high-quality produce and craftmanship within Textiles and Leather. Whilst the leather trade has diminished in this region, the textile industry continues to be significant to Portuguese economy. It boasts to be the largest non-food manufacturing area in terms of export, accounting for about 9% of the country’s output.
The textile cluster (CITEVE) of the northern region of Guimaraes is known as the “cradle of the nation” providing a rich cultural heritage particularly in the trade of leather. Whilst the region moved on from leather production with the advent of industrialization, evidence of the importance of this trade and the value to its identity and “place” is evident throughout the city. Historic water baths (Figure 2) are woven into the landscape of the area and wooden tanning drums (originally used in leather processing) provide historical features and a sense of identity within modern repurposed spaces.
Figure 2 Water baths
Guimaraes, like many other industrialised European regions, has witnessed a steady decline in manufacturing, primarily due to cheaper imports from elsewhere. Like other locations around the globe, this decline has resulted in the abandonment of buildings rich in cultural heritage. Often these sites historically provided a sense of place and culture and the loss has impacted on the region’s identity. These abandoned buildings, if left for significant periods, fall into disrepair and in the worst cases local councils have no alternative but to demolish them to enable new regeneration to occur, resulting in buildings of historical relevance being lost and the region losing strong threads of its cultural identity. Guimaraes has been ahead of the game in-terms-of capturing the cultural wealth of its textile heritage, to bring a new lease of life to the area. During the 1970s the district council began projects, which sensitively brought to life abandoned buildings and unused space around the city.
The repurposing began at the heart of the city with the re-design of the main square (Praca de Sao Tiago). Nowadays, specific areas are clearly defined for transport, domestic living and enterprises and community gatherings. This has brought a new lease of life to the heart of the city, with a vibrant café culture housing a strong sense of belonging to locals and visitors alike. Domestic accommodation is scattered around the square, fenced between small enterprises.
Figure 3 – Praca de Sao Tiago Main Square
A key focus of the re-generation was to encapsulate local culture without stifling innovation. One incentive employed was to offer the domestic properties free cable connection to eliminate unsightly TV aerials and satellite dishes enabling the square to retain the historical features. Guimaraes was one of the first European cities to offer free Wi-Fi in a large central outdoor space. This resulted in the medieval square retaining its authentic identity, even today homes have laundry flapping on balconies.
Further to
this the district council in partnership with the local community developed
walkways which followed the natural flow of water throughout the city. Slabs of
granite and stone cover the waterways making paths which flow into the river “Ave”
which splits the area right in two.
Figure 4 – Beneath water flows to the Ave
Many of the repurposed sites are unused tanneries (linked to the historical leather trade), the features of each site have been lovingly restored to their original state. Below (Figure 5) is the local Science Innovation Building where young people can engage with the latest technology including: artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D printing. Inside innovation is brimming, the exterior in contrast, would not misplaced in a period Western movie.
Figure 5 Science centre
The University has re-purposed other decarded buildings, the Design Innovation Centre takes the heritage of the building and transforms them into modern learning spaces.
Figure 6 – Innovation centre
This is what makes Guimaraes attractive to young and old alike and earned it the title of European City of Culture in 2012, following on from its earlier listing (2001) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The youth hostel (Figure 7) provides an authentic example of re-purposing at its best and is a model that can and should be used across other towns and cities throughout Europe.
Figure 7 – Youth Hostel
Working with international partners we aim to change historic sites of mass employment and mass production into new sites of co-created, co-managed production and consumption, it is the intension that the consortium will be leading on embedding new types of co-ownership, co-implementation and co-production via new technologies and business models and applying these to deep historic heritage-rich creative clusters and networks in order to innovate and increase productivity of specifically SMEs, bringing new economic activities to these historic areas and create economic resilience.
Figure 8 – Prof Jess Power (4th from left) with local partners in Guimaraes
If you are interested in these issues the three professors are running an ERASMUS Staff international week 20-24th January 2020 to discuss linking creative cultures to business. Details on the link
There’s always lots going on in the region, music,opera, ballet, comedy, food and drink festivals. Here’s my personal pick for the next few months, Jon Fairburn.
Carol Southall, Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire Business School
Kerry Edge, Administrative Assistant Recruitment
For many people, a new year starts in January, but in the academic world we are fast approaching a new ‘academic’ year. It is that time of year when, often following a summer break, people take time to reflect on what is important to them, with family, life and career often being the subject of that reflection. Going back to work post- summer break; receiving summer examination results; or looking for an alternative career path, this is the time when the opportunity to pursue a University education is often considered.
Clearing is an opportunity to make a new choice. Essentially, clearing matches applicants to university places that are yet to be filled. There are many reasons why courses are still available through clearing. It is an opportunity for those who may have changed their mind about where or what they want to study, it’s an opportunity for those who have missed their conditions and it’s also an opportunity for those who, on reflection, realise that the path to their chosen career lies in higher education.
The key message is that it is never too late to apply for university.
At Staffordshire Business School we understand the importance of making the right decision. We work hard to inspire you to be creative in your thinking, international in your outlook and innovative and entrepreneurial in your actions. Connecting with business, the creative and cultural sector and communities to address challenges in a time of change, we encourage our students to make a difference through innovative and transformational ideas.
For more information on the courses at Staffordshire Business School click here:
