Golden Coast

A Glowing Testimonial From Golden Coast

Golden Coast is the country’s largest independent distributor of pool, hot tub, sauna and steam products to the UK wet leisure industry. Based in Barnstaple in North Devon, their sales and distribution network not only covers the entire country but also extends into Europe. A family run firm with more than 35 years in the business, they constantly seek to be more than just one step ahead of their competition.

“M&G have worked closely with Golden Coast to produce some of the finest material seen in our industry including; web, design for print and online advertising, copywriting and social media. Their candid approach to doing business is not only refreshing but ensures we are completely involved in the ongoing development of our marketing strategy. This has been an exciting and enjoyable journey.”

Jamie Adams, Managing Director of Golden Coast

M&G have worked with Golden Coast since 2010.

As a B2B distributor, Golden Coast couldn’t deal directly with the public, and yet, they needed consumer demand to draw their products into local and national dealers and installers.

2010

The initial marketing strategy involved the construction of four, interlinked websites. Three of these were designed to inform the public on the benefits of spas, pools and saunas via a content marketing strategy. These sites would also gather potential lead enquiries that could be passed on to Golden Coast’s dealer network.

The content for the four sites was generated by M&G, which involved researching and copywriting more than 350 articles.

2011

In planning and evaluating the Golden Coast strategy, one frustration for both parties was the lack of industry-wide market data and so in 2011, the Wet Leisure Survey – a national survey conducted both on and offline – was launched. Now in its 10th year, M&G design the survey, collate and analyse the data and produce the annual Wet Leisure Survey Report, which is freely available to the industry in printed or digital form, raising Golden Coast’s profile and standing in the industry.

2012

M&G work closely with Golden Coast’s MD, Jamie Adams to write a regular bi-monthly opinion piece for the leading trade magazine. Aimed at relationship building, the article is also used across a number of other channels.

2017

After 6 years, the original Golden Coast website was in need of being refreshed. A number of workshops and an audit of the existing brand profile and strategic thinking led to a new web site that emphasises the values of Innovation, Knowledge and Customer Service. The site promotes the people who work at Golden Coast and how each contributes to the partnership that Golden Coast forms with its customers.

The site also hosts a great deal of resource available for account customers from technical manuals to marketing advice specific to the wet leisure industry. Also rich in brand and product content, the site delivers well against SEO goals.

2018

Two of the original consumer facing, content marketing sites were re-purposed ensuring that the large amount of traffic that these sites were receiving benefits brands which Golden Coast holds distributor rights for.

wetleisure.com now serves as a portal for surveys as well as holding results for the previous years. Visitors can now see a complete analysis of the industry, review results by year or by industry sector and see developing trends.

2019

M&G are given responsibility for all Golden Coast brand advertising running in national trade magazines producing ad concepts, copy and overseeing photography and design.

2021

Golden Coast launch tubhub – their new spa accessory brand – and a new webshop for the core business. Workshops. Project management and change management. Advertising concepts, copy and design – working closely with Golden Coast’s in-house design team.

RESULTS

“A total marketing package can’t just be bought. To be done well and produce great results, it needs people that not only live and breathe their craft but have the patience and skills to completely understand their clients’ needs and the complexities of the market they operate in.”

In more than a decade since that first enquiry the world obviously changed a great deal as have Golden Coast’s business goals, the structure of their business and the market they operate in.

Over the course of the relationship we have become involved with almost every aspect of Golden Coast’s marketing. Alongside specific projects and more regular activity, we work extremely closely with Golden Coast and provide what is in effect a constant marketing consultancy service, acting as a sounding board for new ideas, proactively suggesting activity as opportunities arise or marketing technology develops and enjoying the feeling that we are a part of Golden Coast’s business team.

In an extremely competitive industry, Golden Coast have set and achieved aggressive growth targets year on year or in the words of the client:

“Looking good is one thing, seeing a return on our investment is another and although it’s difficult to pick out any one single element of our marketing activity that has been a game changer, it’s evident that since taking Minchin and Grimshaw on that we have gone from treading water to annual growth and renewed positivity within the business.”