Kinky Knickers

Is it time for us to pull on our Kinky Knickers?

I like Mary Portas.  I think she rocks.  She is strong, opinionated, a bit quirky and bloody good at what she does.  I get her and I get her message.  Her latest Kinky Knickers initiative is thriving.  I like that she chose a dwindling UK manufacturing industry to really show what a bit of magic and business mettle can do.

It got me wondering what Mary Portas would do if she turned her attention to the world of social care or supported housing?  (Wonder if there's a pitch to be made to the telly people on that one).

The world of social care and health and supported housing is changing quite radically.  The way in which services will be funded has changed.  Gone are the days of safe secure block contracts.

The new world is all about personalisation, choice and control and spot-purchase.  Direct payments, individual budgets and personal health budgets are the funding routes in today's new world.

For the providers, this means having to move from being a largely 'wholesale' provider to suddenly having to change our approach to that of 'retail'.  Marketing and selling our services to the individual is the new reality.

But it's not something we are all that comfortable with, is it?  Just try saying the words 'branding, selling, purchasing' amongst other Third Sector charities and housing professionals and watch the bristles appear.  It's not what we do. 

I think we need to get comfortable with it, and quick.

I think there are some things we can take from Kinky Knickers and Mary Portas, for providers and for the sector.

Some 'brief' (ha-ha) bullet point lessons from Mary that will help us make personalisation work:

·      Branding - the mood music, the look and feel of who you are and what you offer.  It isn't just for the big corporations with big budgets.  It communicates your vision, your culture and what you think of your offer - get it right and people will notice you.

·      Stand-out - be different and be memorable.  The contracts might require providers to do similar things but how we do them and our personality is all our own.

·      Customer service and customer experience - think about it, make it easy, make it fun, listen and employ people who are good at it.

·      Get the money right - get a robust business plan, track your progress, keep a grip on it and get a plan for when things aren't going so well.

·      Find and keep talent - your people are your best asset.  Work hard to find them and work harder to keep them.

·      Be brave and keep it simple - over-complicated pricing, referral and purchasing routes will put people off.  As will too many mind-boggling product options.  One-click buying is already here - what can we do to make buying from us easier?  Somehow I think new technology has the answer.

·      Understand the landscape - research your competition, research your customer base and to quote one of Mayday Trust trustees 'get a view from the bridge'.

Obviously we need to ensure that the services we provide actually meet people’s needs and make a real difference to the lives of those purchasing directly from us – it’s also important to ensure we can evidence this difference.

The Portas rhetoric is that retailing is all about passion and great products that excite and inspire customers to buy - if it's cool, and it adds something to my life, if it makes me feel good, then I want it.

It's not that hard to connect the retail world to the business of social care and health is it?

So what do you think?  Kinky Knickers anyone?

(Portas, 2012)