Our Journey With...franks Portlock

Samantha Davidson, Managing Director of B2B marketing specialists Horizonworks, explains how they helped a leading independent asbestos management consultancy to revamp its image, reposition its service proposition and build its profile nationally.

Operating from a network of offices across the UK including Sunderland, Scotland, London and nuclear site Sellafield, Franks Portlock specialises in the identification, testing and monitoring of asbestos. A UKAS accredited organisation, the company combines their extensive industry experience and technical knowledge to ensure that clients comply with current health and safety and asbestos regulations.

Founded in 2007 by Phil Franks and Stephen Portlock, the company identified that it needed to raise its profile, increase engagement with existing clients and attract new clients in priority sectors to support its strategic growth plans. The company didn’t have an internal marketing department and appointed us to act as its outsourced marketing team. We act as a marketing advisor in addition to planning, managing and implementing all their marketing activity.

We worked closely with Franks Portlock to create a marketing strategy and plan which would help develop Frank Portlock’s proposition – enabling clients and prospects to understand its capabilities as a full-service asbestos management company. To help form the strategy, we firstly conducted a communications audit, competitor analysis and market insight to help define Franks Portlock’s unique selling proposition (USP) and reshape messages to position the firm as a leading edge asbestos management company.

Secondly, we developed and implemented a new brand, visual style and messaging along with a new website to clearly articulate the services offered and sector expertise. Now, we deliver their full marketing plan on an ongoing basis – this enables Franks Portlock to access our team of marketing experts who specialise in a range of disciplines which include digital, PR and creative. Franks Portlock benefit from being able to access all these services under one roof and have access to their own marketing team.

Phil Franks, director at Franks Portlock said: “Horizonworks’ really understands our business and their support has been invaluable in communicating our proposition effectively and scoping our future strategy. They have implemented a range of activities to strengthen our brand and develop stronger relationships with our clients.

“As a business we have enjoyed significant growth over the last few years – the work we undertake for existing clients has increased, we have made a number of new appointments and created a commercial manager role to help attract new clients and drive further growth”, he adds.

Samantha Davidson, managing director at Horizonworks, said: “The team at Franks Portlock are a pleasure to work with and it’s been fantastic to see how well their new brand has been received both internally and externally. 2018 is gearing up to be another exciting year for the company and we look forward to continuing our journey.” Horizonworks specialises in working with businesses from the manufacturing, engineering, automotive, technology and innovation-led sectors. We offer marketing, strategy, PR, creative and digital services – all under one roof – to ensure all elements of marketing work together seamlessly to generate the best results for our clients.

Horizonworks has a diverse portfolio of clients including US based AmeriWater, a premier provider of water treatment equipment, ENEX Group, a mechanical engineering services provider, Cellular Solutions, a business communications and systems provider, The Expanded Metal Company, an expanded metal mesh manufacturer and Arcinova, a contract research and development company which serves the pharmaceutical sector, the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), the largest automotive cluster group in the UK and the Advanced Manufacturing Forum (AMF), the largest manufacturing forum in the North East.