The National Trust has been in the press a
lot recently.
For as long as I can remember, trips to old
historic houses have been a formulaic conveyor belt route around roped
off rooms, with curtains shut and signage after signage instructing visitors
not to touch, not to sit, don’t walk on the grass etc etc.
However as the first sign of our long
awaited spring begin to show and the doors of National Trust properties open up
for the new season there is change in the air and it seems it will be for the
better. So what’s happened?
The very difficult trading environment we
have all endured over the last 18 months has hugely affected most businesses
and the National Trust is no exception.
They have taken a long hard look at their
business and recognised the need to revamp and reposition in order to bring
modernity to the company. With
their mission of “for ever, for everyone” they aim to attract a much wider
audience – mainly younger and families. So in the months to come we will start to see a much softer
and warmer Trust - more encouragement to pick up items and live the
experience. We will also start to
see their brand appearing outside their traditional heartland of historic
properties onto supermarket shelves with their own range of food.
So what can we learn from this to ensure
our businesses are spruced up and ready for the road ahead?
Never has it been so important to really
research our market and how changing customer attitudes and perceptions affect
our business strategy.
Fundamentally we need to ask ourselves
where are we now and where do we want to be. Only then can we start mapping out
the route to get there and putting the tools in place to achieve this.
The National Trust has gone through a major
overhaul of their business, which has taken time and investment and necessitated
in a change of culture within the organisation to deliver. But a major revamp of this size is not
always necessary for a business to power ahead.
Whether a large company or small
enterprise, we all have to recognise that the landscape we operate within has
changed considerably and rise to the challenge
- Look outwards
- Seize opportunities
- Really understand your market
- Get to know your customers
- Be responsive to their needs with a product
or service offer that is relevant
