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The Olderpreneur Alliance
Overview
Leader provided a full outsourced marketing service for a new company being set up to support, encourage and campaign for later-life entrepreneurs, working with the founder on everything from initial naming through to service development, launch and beyond.
The Need
Doctoral research carried out by our client, Dr Isabella Moore, made significant and important findings relating to gendered aspects of entrepreneurship in later life. While it was clear that entrepreneurship is a viable and compelling option for individuals in later life, it was equally clear that older people of both genders, wishing to set up a business, face substantial barriers, both perceived and real.
Isabella is herself a successful entrepreneur, as the founder and co-director of translation services company COMTEC. She was the first female President of the British Chambers of Commerce and Vice-President of Eurochambres, and also Chairman of the Confederation of West Midlands Chambers of Commerce and CEO of CILT, the National Centre for Languages. On completing her research programme at Aston Business School, Isabella approached Leader to help communicate her research to key stakeholders and influencers, and to launch a new community interest company to address some of the findings.
The Solution
A short marketing audit, consultation, and planning process led to a full suite of recommendations for the creation of the new company.
The Olderpreneur Alliance was proposed as a name which would capture and convey both aspects of the new company’s activities – advocacy and training. It also communicated Isabella’s desire to ‘start a conversation’ about later-life entrepreneurship at all levels of society – something on which we built further with the design of a logo incorporating a strong speech bubble motif.
Marketing propositions, key messages and core texts were written and agreed to ensure consistent and effective communications throughout the launch period. Once these were in place, a website was designed and built to serve as a central hub around which marketing activity could take place. Social media channels were established and core marketing collateral put in place.
In parallel with this work, our consultants supported Isabella directly with the development of the company’s twin activities of advocacy and training. Working closely with Isabella as author of the original research, we wrote and designed a detailed 44-page report – The Impact of Gender on Later-Life Entrepreneurship – which would sit at the heart of her ongoing advocacy work. Almost 100 key influencers and stakeholders were identified in government, public and private sector organisations, and the report was posted to them with a cover letter highlighting key points including recommendations. Business correspondents in the national and regional media were also engaged during a short programme of media relations.
Supporting the development of a new service model for the incubation of new business ventures by older people, we designed and implemented market research which resulted in more than 500 responses to an online survey. This provided fresh insight into attitudes to business creation among the over 50s, as well as their service and support requirements. From this, we advised Isabella through the process of service development from initial modelling through to the securing of delivery partners and the setting up of the first pilot project for the new Later Creator programme.
Leader offers the perfect marketing services for an entrepreneur. With insight across both marketing and business strategy, they excel in the delivery of everything from research and planning to creative development, design, copywriting, websites, digital and social marketing, PR, and more.
Dr Isabella Moore CBE
The Results
Isabella has been able to launch a new community interest company to deliver on the issues raised, and commitments made, through her doctoral research.
The Olderpreneur Alliance and Later Creator brands which Leader created provide a strong platform for both her ongoing advocacy work and her development of new services for the encouragement and nurturing of later-life entrepreneurship. In its initial months, this strong identity helped open conversations with potential delivery partners throughout the UK, facilitating the launch of the initial pilot project. Early engagement with key government and business support influencers has also been positive.
