I have to confess that I don’t usually watch the TV series “The Apprentice”. I find Alan Sugar patronising and the apprentices almost universally, irritatingly immature. (Which maybe gives Sir Sugar a good excuse for his manner 
)
However, last night I watched with interest as the two teams were given the task of rebranding the seaside town of Margate. I grew up there and have recently begun to invest in the area so I am familiar with the town. What suprised me most was how little research either team did into the tremendous changes that have been happening in Margate and neither bothered to find out what the future plans are.
Both teams very quickly decided on a marketing strategy that they thought would work based entirely on their preconceptions and then looked for evidence to support this. Even local girl Mona failed to step in with any real insights. The result of this was that neither team came up with a truly creative or interesting campaign and even the winning team were criticised by Margate councillors for “missing a trick”.
Mona’s team lost because she didn’t use her local knowledge and contacts effectively to help the team build a relevant and effective campaign. And that’s why she deserved to get fired!
Piggy says “What this really shows is just how important it is to thoroughly research an area before deciding on a strategy that will work. Making contacts and asking relevant questions are key. This is as true for a property investor or new business start up as it is for a marketing/branding campaign.”
