'Direct Access Marketing' in High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Marlow, Bourne End and Surrounding Areas

Case Studies

Case Study 1

Interview with Restaurant Owner Muzakkir Ali, otherwise known as Ali Jr, of the Curry Centre Restaurant – High Wycombe

Firstly, can you please tell me about the origin, the aims and the purpose of your business…?
“We were the first Indian restaurant in Buckinghamshire. The Curry Centre is a family business going back 30 years. When my grandfather and father came to England their aim was to own their own restaurant. At one point they had five restaurants and were well known in the Bengali Community. The restaurant has been passed down through three generations.  Traditionally, in comparison to other oriental outlets, Indian restaurants had been down graded and associated with a place to go after the pubs close. Our aim was to create a restaurant experience that was a class above that, with authentic Bengali cuisine. Now, our reputation for fine Indian dining is firmly established. Our purpose was to create a name for ourselves and to maintain our reputation. We’ve been here a long time, we are original and honest and we have one of the best restaurants in High Wycombe.”  

How would you describe your promotion?
“Restaurant menus initially but then DOR-2-DOR started to distribute editorial flyers for us with discount voucher, promoting restaurant dining.”   

What did you want to achieve?
"In 2002 our business took a dip so we needed to generate more customers. Marketing in newspapers had failed to generate a good response.”

How many households and which areas was your material delivered to?
“Distribution varies from 5000 to 20,000 (when we want extra exposure) on average, 10k a month are delivered on a flexible basis, to householders in the High Wycombe district.”

Over what timescales was your leaflet distributed?
"Our business benefits most from continual distribution spread over four weeks.”

What results did you see?
“As a result of one campaign we saw a 30% improvement in business. The 2006 summer campaign saw our weekend takeaway business improve by 80% and positive word of mouth became much stronger.”

How would you describe your D2D experience?
“Whenever we give something to Peter we get results. He takes extra care; he knows that we can’t afford to lose leaflets. He provides consultancy and gives us good ideas on how to make improvements across the board, he has worked alongside us to help us be successful.”

Would you recommend DOR-2-DOR and/or use our service again?
“Yes, if the local franchisee was like Peter. He has given us coverage and the confidence to address business issues. The service is reliable.  He makes sure the leaflets get through the door of our customers. The service gets people’s awareness, creates a positive image and reinforces our brand.”

Looking ahead, how do you see DOR-2-DOR helping your business achieve its future objectives?
“Peter’s hands-on approach has continued to be of great support to us. We see DOR-2-DOR as a marketing partner who can be of great help in us achieving our goals.”

Case Study 2

High Wycombe Gets Jazzy With It!

At the start of a new season we are fired up to make changes, to get fit for the life we want. However honourable our initial intentions are, only the die hard enthusiasts continue to workout relentlessly. The majority of us lesser mortals give way to decadent, less energetic pursuits, especially in the winter months, when relaxing in the warm seems a preferable option.

Step up Jazzercise which helps students maintain their resolve by offering an exercise alternative guaranteed to get minds buzzing and toes tapping. Throw in kickboxing and some Pilates and you have the perfect recipe for fitness satisfaction.

Originating in the United States (with practitioners in 35 countries)  this hugely successful global franchise was brought to Buckinghamshire sixteen years ago by Marthese Attard.  Whilst living in Norway, Marthese attended classes which so inspired her that she brought the unique blend of aerobics, yoga and jazz dance to her locality when she moved to England.

From the start, Marthese used local newspaper advertising although awareness mainly grew through word of mouth. Four years ago responses became repeatedly poor.  When the wife of D2D local franchisee Peter attended Jazzercise in 2005, Marthese decided to give D2D a whirl.

'The name's Lay, Peter Lay...licensed to print leaflets, designed to thrill.' In May 2005 five thousand leaflets were designed, printed and distributed in the Cressex area of High Wycombe. 22 people signed up straight away as a result of this initial campaign.  The exercise was repeated in September when again there was an excellent response. 

For the first time in sixteen years of operation, Marthese decided against using the local press. She signed up with D2D in January 2006 for a year of consistent leafleting on a monthly basis. The combination of a unique offering, imaginative promotions and effective targeting has proved a winning formula, with consistently good results.

Nine fitness sessions are currently run in the morning or evening on a weekly basis by Marthese and two other instructors. Marthese feels proud of the fact that some students have been with her for 15 years. With classes often at full capacity, holding up to a total of 60 people expansion seems to be the likely next move.

Marthese commented "It's the way they deliver the leaflets separately from the newspaper in a non competitive manner. Our flyers in newspapers were just put in the bin. Peter's service has been excellent, he knows what he is doing and he is full of ideas to update our designs."

Note Jan 2010: Jazzercise Bucks has now expanded to 29 classes per week!
Visit their website for more details.

To visit Marthese's Jazzercise Bucks web site click here.

Case Study 3

"Gym For All" Gets High Wycombe Fighting Fit

When owner Steve Cowley set up The Body Fit Centre he wanted to create a different experience for visitors. One which would overcome the commonly held perception of independent gyms as sweaty places, full of intimidating body builders, in the pursuit of physical perfection. 

Originally called the Body Shack, ex teacher and regular gym goer Steve bought the facility in 1999. His vision was to create a family focused fitness centre, geared to all age groups, with a holistic approach catering for all aspects of the mind, body and spirit. This aspiration came from Steve's dedication to martial arts and the fact that the new centre housed a purpose built Martial Arts Centre. Classes in yoga, meditation and Pilates complemented the dynamic pursuits on offer.

To increase awareness, Steve advertised in local newspapers, on local radio and ran his own leafleting campaigns but found, due to the sporadic nature of the campaigns, that the results were hit and miss. Then in 2004 he tried Dor-2-Dor.

For six months between eight to twelve thousand leaflets were distributed on a monthly basis, promoting the unique facility incorporating the Steve Cowley Martial Arts Academy.  The delivery radius was tight and targeted persons living or working within 2 miles of the facility.

Results were impressive. Referrals from leaflets generated an average of 50% of all new membership, accounting for 2% of all revenue. This became an average of 10 new sales a month. This equated to an extra £6K in revenue.

Future plans are to purchase and develop another community focused facility. Body Fit will continue to be successful because of the very high level of service and facilities provided and, very importantly, the inclusive club atmosphere. In the words of one sixty three year old member "Body Fit is the most helpful, friendly and fun gym I have ever been to." By all accounts, The Body Fit formula seems to be working wonders for residents in High Wycombe.

Steve commented…"It has been good for us; My concerns about delivery were unfounded. Peter is very approachable and does his best to ensure you get what you want. Dor-2-Dor have the system and process in place to promote my business."

To visit the Body Fit Gym website click here.

Case Study 4

The Essentials of Cooking in Buckinghamshire

Looking for some ‘bare (kitchen) necessities’ to master your favourite culinary recipes? Then look no further than Essentials, a distinctly upmarket hardware store on the outskirts of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. From pepper grinders to gift ware; saucepans to bird tables; planters to pet food, you will find it here, waiting to grace your home or garden.

Essentials form an integral part of a parade of independent retailers in Hazelmere who have attracted customers from far and wide, by building a reputation for providing specialist goods and services. This group of twenty small businesses formed a trading association, of which Geoff Fendall, (proprietor of Essentials) is currently Chairman. With forty years experience of retail management, Geoff is an expert when it comes to peddling his trade. The results speak for themselves - when Essentials opened for business in January 1987 it quickly graduated to be a key outlet, with the local community shopping there regularly.

After testing out leafleting in local newspapers and vouchers in Yellow Pages, with minimal return, Geoff turned to local DOR-2-DOR agent Peter Lay to mastermind a letterbox campaign, targeting the local catchment area of c10,000 homes. Geoff saw a significant improvement in sales, enough to warrant repeating the exercise on a quarterly basis for the last four years. There is strength in numbers and by joining Decco, national wholesalers and champions of the independents, Geoff has been able to deliver marketing clout and, with access to their purchasing power, ensure very competitive pricing.

Despite increased competition from Internet shopping and big chains like Wilkinsons, Essentials has carved a firm local niche for itself. The secret of this success…? Listening and taking action - Geoff found many customers would rather hire than buy so he added a hire arm to his business, providing everything from carpet cleaners to cake stands. Geoff’s business has been nominated for the prestigious ‘Best Hardware Retailer and Independent Housewares Retailer 2006’ award. With their attention to detail and winning attitude Essentials are certainly worthy of winning the title.

Geoff had this to say: “It’s been very good for us – I have been impressed with the speed of reaction and degree of personal service we have received from our local Dor-2-Dor agent.”

To visit the Essentials web site click here