This month, Ideal Marketing Company owner and MD Jess Shailes was delighted to give out the first ever marketing award set up in memory of The Ideal Marketing Company’s original owner and MD Alastair 
Campbell.
Alastair set up and ran the Ideal Marketing Company from 2003 until a heart attack in 2017 left him with a brain injury before his death in 2019.
Recognising future marketing talent
The new award will be given annually to a third-year student on one of De Montfort University’s marketing courses. The winner in the award’s first year is Fashion Buying with Marketing student Bethany Hunt whose prize includes work experience at The Ideal Marketing Company and a subscription to her choice of industry publication.
Entrants were asked to submit a real-world marketing plan which was judged by Jess. The criteria used for evaluating the plans included professionalism, viability of practical implementation, evidence of referencing a client’s specific objectives and the inclusion of realistic measurements and timelines.
Jess explains
“As marketers, the starting point for any activity is understanding our clients’ businesses, their aims and customers so that our advice is credible and impactful. All the finalists submitted strong plans, but Bethany’s stood out. It took me on a journey from the initial analysis of the business through to a well-reasoned marketing strategy which included comprehensive competitor analysis. She also demonstrated a good use of statistics and research which helped add credibility to her recommendations.”
A marketing legacy
As the current owner and MD of Ideal Marketing, Jess was keen to do something in memory of the inspirational boss who employed her in 2013 and nurtured her to the position of Head of Digital Marketing.
“Alastair was a motivational leader in many ways, not least in his enthusiasm for supporting young marketers, via work experience, apprenticeships, employment or just advice.
“He was also an important mentor to me personally, believing in me when I was unsure which career direction to take and encouraging my professional development. That ethos of nurturing the next generation of marketers is one that I hope to continue through the Ideal Marketing Company. I see it as a way of paying forward the support that I received from an inspirational boss.”
A positive partnership
Senior Lecturer in Fashion Promotion and Fashion Buying with Marketing at De Montfort University, Kaye Herriott is finding the collaboration with Ideal Marketing very useful for her students saying: “Although our marketing courses are very highly regarded by the industry, there’s no substitute for real experience. Now more than ever this generation of graduates need all the support and mentorship that they can access. I’m delighted by Bethany’s achievement and by the standard of all the students’ entries.”
Marketing that gets results
17 years after it was founded by Alastair Campbell and his wife Helen, The Ideal Marketing Company remains a full-service agency that combines the latest advances in digital marketing with traditional methods of marketing. To find out more about the perfect marketing mix to grow your business, please call Jess Shailes on 01858 374 170 or fill in our contact form. Alternatively, you can claim your FREE marketing consultation here.
MD & Head of Digital Marketing
Jessica has worked in digital marketing for over 10 years and has watched it evolve from an experimental marketing option to an essential tool for most businesses. She is driven to help businesses achieve their objectives using the best digital marketing resources available and recognises that each business is different. Jessica devours the latest news about digital marketing and is constantly learning in order to stay ahead of the trends for clients.
