Saying goodbye to a relaxing summer holiday and hello to a full email inbox and new deadlines is never easy. Throw in the diversion of a mood-enhancing Olympics amid economic uncertainty, and marketers could be forgiven for approaching the last quarter of 2012 with mixed emotions.
With a difficult trading environment and fragile consumer confidence, that final flurry of marketing activity takes on a speculative aspect.
Marketing talked to marketing directors in key sectors to gauge the mood as they face the final furlong of 2012.
Travel: Lionel Benbassat, Eurostar
Retail: Sarah Warby, Sainsbury's
Financial services: Alastair Pegg, Nationwide
Automotive: Anthony Ireson, Ford of Britain
Fashion: Melissa Littler, BrandAlleyUK
TRAVEL: Lionel Benbassat, Director of marketing and brand, Eurostar
- What concerns do you have for this period?
It has been a strange year: the economy has changed greatly and (that) has had a day-to-day impact on how people perceive their economic environment. My worry is about people saving and being cautious in the way they spend their money. But I am optimistic because I know that people enjoy travel, entertainment and discovery. Holidays are still very high on people's priorities and I am optimistic that it should be a decent quarter for us.
- What activity have you got coming up for the final quarter of the year?
We will launch a campaign this month and probably one in November with some attractive price offers, giving people good reasons to travel to our destinations, whether it be Brussels, Paris or London. So the focus is, after a busy Olympic period, to come back to our normal activity.
We are working on the plans for the entire year, looking at all of the projects on the way and upcoming landmarks for the company.
It is important to have the year planned out for the brand to be able to react to events in our markets that either boost or slow down sales, that give us the opportunity to say the right things to our audience and keep track of our objectives. It means staying flexible and reactive to the macroeconomic context of the market.
TELECOMS: James Atkins, Head of marketing UK & Ireland, HTC
- What concerns do you have for the final quarter of 2012?
The economic outlook has made people more cautious, but smartphones are still a highly attractive purchase, and it's our job to educate people how to better use their HTC.
- Do you have more Christmas planning to do?
Christmas is always a key period, with the mix of products changing slightly to favour the gifting market. Given the rapid speed the industry operates at, the marketing teams are in a constant cycle of planning and activation. At HTC we focus on working as efficiently as possible and developing flexible plans.
We're in full campaign activation mode for Christmas. However, we're also continuing to engage our customers and ready to act on any changes in the marketplace.
We are also gearing up for an exciting announcement, so it's all hands on deck.
RETAIL: Sarah Warby, Marketing director, Sainsbury's
- What's in your in-tray for this final quarter, and what are your priorities?
We are focusing on our sponsorship of the Paralympics right now. We have a huge broadcast, print and online campaign featuring our Paralympic ambassador, Ellie Symonds, and our Active Kids ambassador, David Beckham. We have loved our association with the Paralympics and this comes across in the communication we are doing. We are also the sponsor of all 11 days of Paralympic Games coverage on Channel 4, another fantastic opportunity.
Beyond this we will be continuing with our 'Live well for less' campaign in the autumn. Then, before we know it, it will be Christmas, a vital time to stress our quality and value credentials and help inspire our customers. I've never worked in a business that has a Christmas campaign before, and I've been impressed by the work that goes into planning Christmas here.
Christmas might be huge for us, but, ultimately, we're always on. The conversation with our customers never stops - whether it be in store, online, via our publications, our direct communications or in our above-the-line work.
- What concerns do you have for this period?
It is still a difficult trading environment and customer confidence remains fragile. So, 'Live well for less' is spot-on. We know our customers' budgets are stretched and they are increasingly savvy in their shopping, which is why we bring our 'Live well' philosophy to life with the reassurance of 'Brand match', and the quality promise of our own-label ranges.
- What is your mood, looking ahead to 2013?
I'm a pretty optimistic person generally. There is no doubt that times are tough, but in this country we are a resourceful, savvy bunch and we are all adapting to the realities.
This has been a year like no other and has given us all a valuable boost of pride and joy.
While it is a difficult trading environment, there are still reasons to be cheerful.
FINANCIAL SERVICES: Alastair Pegg, Head of brand marketing, Nationwide
- What marketing have you got planned for the next four months?
The big focus will be returning to TV with our ad campaign encouraging consumers to switch current accounts to us. This will form a big part of our marketing mix and is a key area of strategic growth.
We have a powerful brand idea in 'On your side'; however, it is still relatively new. My focus will be on making sure it is well understood by the areas in the organisation that have the biggest impact on delivering the customer experience.
I also want to look at ways we can build our story with existing customers and spread the brand message to a wider audience.
We have big things coming up next year. We're looking to make an impact in the current-account market and we have exciting plans in the pipeline.
- Can the financial-services industry feel optimistic about the future?
I think levels of optimism depend on who you are.
We have a powerful story that sets us apart from our competitors and enough reason to be optimistic. The reality for the whole sector is that it's still difficult times. The industry needs to earn back consumers' trust, and it's not going to be easy.
AUTOMOTIVE: Anthony Ireson, Marketing director, Ford of Britain
- What are your priorities for the fourth quarter?
Our priority is implementing the launch of some major products. Ford decided when this economic crisis started to carry on investing in products and we are reaping the rewards.
The launches include the 250hp Focus ST, which 'co-stars' in The Sweeney film this month; a small family car, the B-MAX; a Transit Custom with best-in-class fuel economy; and a bigger Kuga. In addition, there is the big one in volume terms, a Fiesta with our 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine, which won International Engine of the Year.
While the European car industry is in a difficult situation, the UK market is proving remarkably resilient and with a new set of products giving us one of the youngest ranges in the industry, we at Ford are optimistic about 2013. Our planning horizon is well into 2013 at this stage, arranging pre-launch awareness activity for the next tranche of launches.
- What are the big events in your industry for the rest of the year?
We are holding a big 'Go further' event in Amsterdam at the beginning of September. This is a special event revealing the vehicles and technologies that will shape the future of Ford in Europe.
We're at the IFA (the global innovations show) and (later this month) the Paris Motorshow and Hanover CV Show.
FASHION: Melissa Littler, PR and marketing director, BrandAlley UK
- How was your business affected by the London 2012 Olympics?
There was a significant spike in traffic and sales, particularly from our London customers, during the Games. This was a fantastic lift for us at a time of year that is usually quieter than others.
We have also just seen an uplift in homewares sales, driven by students getting ready to go to university. Seasonality has gone out of the window this year, as winter wardrobes have never been fully put away, but members are embracing autumn trends, despite recent high temperatures.
- How are your Christmas preparations going?
We have planned our sales and marketing strategy as much as we can until the end of the year, but the nature of our business means we will optimise as we go, to take advantage of any short-term opportunities. We don't expect a 'big bang' in shopping for Christmas, but rather a steady and stately build-up, with (consumers) planning ahead and spreading the cost.
From a marketing and PR perspective, our key focus will be on a series of eCRM tests to further understand our customers' journeys and behaviours during this busy period. We will be looking closely at the impact of mobile and how and when people are buying their Christmas presents and clothing for the festive season.
Marketing activity will be heavily geared toward gifting and parties, supported by Facebook and our blog.