I joined Ryder in 2004 to head up the newly-formed customer development centre team with the challenge of setting up a call centre to handle lead generation, account management and incoming vehicle rental enquires. Ryder operates more than 13,000 vans and trucks in the UK providing rental, contract hire, fleet management and supply chain solutions to a wide range of businesses and so the opportunities to mix customer relations activities with marketing campaigns were both many and varied.
Once the call centre was established and running smoothly, I was asked by Robin White, Ryder’s marketing director for Europe, if I could become more involved with direct marketing campaigns being run by the company. Needless to say, this was a great opportunity to expand my horizons so I jumped at the chance.
As my role developed, I was asked to look at handling DM campaigns to support the benefits of commercial vehicle contract hire, which led me to think seriously about my own personal development and I realised that acquiring a formal qualification would be beneficial.
Ryder is extremely supportive of personal development and after positive discussions with the learning & development team, it was concluded that the IDM B2B study course leading initially to a certificate in B2B marketing, and ultimately to a diploma, would be perfect for me. Not only would its modules cover all of the marketing issues relevant to my role in the business, but I was familiar with the IDM as I had previously completed a course on data protection for interactive marketing.
The B2B marketing certificate was the first of its kind organised by the IDM and studies were divided into 15 modules, which were covered during two three-day courses, held in London during March and May 2007.
Overall, the course work was enjoyable and stimulating, although I found the quality of tuition varied. The assignment work was well-placed, although intense. One of the most memorable projects was a group assignment to come up with a logo that encompassed the
qualities of office provider Regus. Our group delivered a design based around a swan with legs, which we explained as visualising the provision of serenity and smoothness of customer service, while taking the legwork out of searching for office space. While this was slightly gimmicky if not comic causing plenty of laughter amongst the other teams, it did win us first prize and a bottle of wine for each team member.
The course covers key areas and provides a great insight into B2B marketing and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to others. The content of the course is well-suited to an international organisation like Ryder and both the company and myself will benefit long-term from my having completed the certificate.
For more information on the Certificate and Diploma in B2B Marketing, visit www.marketingquals.com/B2B or ring Tracey Poulson on 020 8614 0271.
