What a night! Green Field Marketing had tremendous success at their first ever FMBE Awards, coming home with 2 Gold Awards and 1 Silver , including Gold in New Agency of the Year. These awards as the most prestigious in the industry, so the validation is tremendous after a hectic first 18 months. As important as recognition from our peers is, we fully intend to use this success as a springboard to even greater things, and already look forward to celebrating future successes as one big team. Onwards and upwards on our quest for continuous improvement!
Judges feedback for each of these awards is as follows;
Professional Agency Management Award – Gold
The story for Green Field Marketing was similar to Logobrand’s only more dramatic as this entry showed the turn around in fortunes following management buyout of this small Belfast agency last year.
This loss-to-profits turn around celebrates the quick decision making of a management team now operating under strategic freedom and with software chosen to suit their scalable and flexible intent.
With EBITDA and client wins now in their favour the agency is also focussed on living up to the implications of its new name, Green Field Marketing. The Carbon Positive agency is associated with Ecologi.com. Some of the highlights are
Over 7000 Trees planted to ensure we are Carbon Positive
Over 1200 Trees planted as Client Gifts
KP Snack Sales Team and Field Manager moved to fully electric cars
Over 98% Recycling Rate
Velocity Vehicle Tracking in to ensure fuel efficient driving
Sustainable Client Relationship – Silver
The agency’s transition in 2021 to a new name, Green Field Marketing, after management buyout was a clear enough statement of intent. Now the agency works with Ecologi for carbon positive practice and is building an electric fleet, starting with KP Snacks, for whom Kia E-Nero cars have replaced caddy vans, which have been adopted by the team with minimal capacity loss – even though smaller in size.
Ricky Watts, Northern Ireland Business Manager, KP Snacks: “Sustainability has been an active focus for KP Snacks for over 5 years. As a company we’ve made wholesale changes in our packaging processes to drive carbon reductions. We’ve also educated our personnel through annual CSR days, where best in class examples are shared business wide. One challenge we have had however, is how to drive improvements in sustainability into our Field Teams.
We have always encouraged our outsourced partners in NI to drive improvements, and had some success historically, but it wasn’t until Green Field Marketing launched in 2021 that we saw genuine innovation. I truly believe they are best in class at sustainable practices and have no doubt that their model of Carbon offset through Ecologi and EV’s will become the norm over the coming years. Not only have these changes helped the team operate in a carbon positive manner, but it has done so by increasing productivity rather than having an impact. I’m genuinely excited to take the next step in KP Snack’s sustainability journey with our partners Green Field Marketing.”
New Agency of the Year – Gold
This is an occasional award, presented when a good enough new agency makes its mark at FMBE. For Green Field Marketing the ‘new’ title bears relevance because a management buyout allowed the team a completely fresh start – albeit with some existing clients on board.
Green Field Marketing impressed as a refreshing new voice at FMBE 22. As well as an impressive entry with KP Snacks in our Special Award and a gold win in professional agency, the team also impressed with shortlisted work for client Boost Drinks, with Green collating the data from a field marketing campaign that used multiple agencies around the UK.
Here at Green Field Marketing we’re very excited to be nearing our first birthday under our new entity! We’ve so many achievements to be incredibly proud of from this time, and will look back in more detail after the year is complete, but one thing we have now officially accomplished is 12 months of being a Carbon Positive business. Sustainability was one of our core brand values we focused on when setting up the company, so to look back at how far we’ve come is truly humbling.
To achieve our Carbon Positive goal, we took the following steps;
Green Field Marketing offset our total carbon footprint on an monthly basis through the planting of trees and funding of Carbon Reduction Projects via Ecologi. – https://ecologi.com/greenfieldmarketing
We are extremely proud to be one of the first companies in Northern Ireland to move Field Sales Reps into pure electric vehicles.Not only does this immediately cut carbon emissions, but it also gives these staff members the education and tools required at home for ongoing sustainability.
Green Field Marketing continue to use paper-free practices where possible, including digital briefing docs, payslips and invoicing, as well as all candidate information being gathered online.
Office working practices encourage a mix of home and on-site working.This not just saves on carbon emissions on the commute to work, but also ensures we continue to support employee mental health.When coming to the office, public transport is also encouraged.
In 2021, Green Field Marketing moved from our own dedicated office space into shared office space in River House in Belfast’s city centre.The corporate social responsibility policy and ethos of these offices, made this a natural fit when looking at sustainable working practices. – https://workclockwise.co.uk/corporate-social-responsibility/
In addition to this, we also worked in partnership with many of our clients, so see how we could better work together to drive sustainability within our teams. Our clients and field staff will all be invited to take part in Green Field Marketing’s first annual “Green Together” day where we will collectively work to clean up some of Northern Ireland’s beautiful beaches. While there’s no doubt this year has been a great success, we view it as the first of many steps towards making Green Field Marketing true leaders in both performance and sustainability.
One of our favourite things to review, and the perfect visual to end this look back, is Ecologi’s “Impact Visibility” charts, which puts the carbon savings into real-life terms. We’ll never tire of watching these numbers grow…
Green Field Marketing’s Carbon Savings to date, equate to;
As the year draws to a close I thought I’d take a bit of time to reflect on the year – what a year!! With Covid continuing to hang over us all and the Implementation of the NI Protocol causing challenges for many businesses we all took the strain but continued to deliver great results for our clients.
We became a smaller company in 2021 after completing an MBO and rebranding the company as Green Field Marketing Solutions. For anyone still reading however, I can tell you we’re a smaller company but with the heart of a lion, passion to burn for our clients’ results and with the agility to react to any challenge that’s thrown at us!
We are very lucky to have a large bank of clients who challenge us, recognise our work, efforts and successes, but most importantly who work in true partnership with us. A big thank you to all our clients for their business this year. We really appreciate it all!
To our many and varied suppliers, we owe a great deal of thanks. The Field Marketing industry we work in is fast moving, ever changing and sometimes challenging but again we have fantastic partnerships with great companies and individuals who have worked to understand our business and provide a great level of service.
Finally, and most importantly thank you to the entire team at Green Field Marketing Solutions, a phenomenal group of individuals and an even better team!!
Overall it’s been a great year where we’ve had to work hard to earn every bit of success, so when the time comes we are going to relax, reflect and enjoy our friends and families over the Christmas and New Year break and look forward to an even better 2022!
Green Field Marketing are delighted to announce that our Dale Farm sales team have been nominated for ‘Best Sales Campaign’ at the prestigious FMBE Awards. These awards are the most distinguished within the Field Marketing industry, with the event taking place in Oxford Town Hall on Thursday 20th January 2022. Green Field Marketing’s Operations Director Martin Rice said the following;
“We are delighted that the hard work of our Dale Farm sales team has been recognised by the wider industry, When we look at the scale of our category competition who boast sales campaigns ranging throughout England, Scotland and Wales, for a Northern Ireland convenience focused team to be shortlisted is testament to what they have achieved. The distribution and share of space impact in the contract’s first year has been tremendous, and we have full faith the team will continue to go from strength to strength. I wish them the very best of luck and truly believe they’re in with an excellent chance of bringing home an award.”
There will be stiff competition on the night, with some major UK brands also in the running. The shortlist for Best Sales Campaign is;
Big Picture – Xiaomi
Blue Square – Samsung
Field Sales Solutions – Ocean Spray
Green Field Marketing – Dale Farm
REL Field Marketing – Alpro
Top Notch Sales – Cofresh/Eat Real
Best of luck to our Dale Farm team, and here’s to a night of celebrations!
One of Green Field Marketing’s core values is sustainability.We view this not just as a corporate responsibility, but also as a personal obligation undertaken by all employees.
We commit to sustainability being an ongoing focus, and will continue to look at how else we can improve through new technologies and understanding.
Green Field Marketing will also aim to drive sustainability through our suppliers, clients and candidates alike, with a view to making an impact at a local and international level.
Steps taken to date include:
Green Field Marketing will offset our total carbon footprint on an annual basis through the planting of trees via Ecologi. – https://ecologi.com/greenfieldmarketing
We are extremely proud to be one of the first companies in Northern Ireland to move Field Sales Reps into pure electric vehicles.Not only does this immediately cut carbon emissions, but it also gives these staff members the education and tools required at home for ongoing sustainability.
Green Field Marketing continue to use paper-free practices where possible, including digital briefing docs, payslips and invoicing, as well as all candidate information being gathered online.
Office working practices encourage a mix of home and on-site working.This not just saves on carbon emissions on the commute to work, but also ensures we continue to support employee mental health.When coming to the office, public transport is also encouraged.
In 2021, Green Field Marketing moved from our own dedicated office space into shared office space in River House in Belfast’s city centre.The corporate social responsibility policy and ethos of these offices, made this a natural fit when looking at sustainable working practices. – https://workclockwise.co.uk/corporate-social-responsibility/
Introducing Green Field Marketing Solutions – the new name for FMCG field sales in Northern Ireland – brought to you by the ex-PRL team, NR talks to new MD Russell Johnston Green Field Marketing Solutions is the exciting new venture for the ex-PRL team in Northern Ireland. Under the leadership of Russell Johnston as managing director, Martin Rice as operations director and Lisa Curran as financial director – the trio have bought over the share holdings in PRL, to launch their own field sales solutions under the Green Field Marketing Solutions name. “Between the three of us we have over 50 years’ experience” said Russell. “I like to think we are bringing real substance and experience to our clients.”
CONTINUITY AND CONFIDENCE
The majority of the PRL field sales teams serving Northern Ireland have been brought straight into the new venture – thereby assuring clients of continuity as far as possible. “Everything we do is about growing our clients’ brands – we commit to being vigorously results driven,” Russell explained to NR. “While we are now a separate company from PRL we will continue to work in partnership with them – they’re a fantastic company.” Russell – who has over 20 years’ experience in the field marketing industry, was part of the team that sold the business to PRL in 2016. Now, along with his two partners, they have completed the acquisition of the NI business.
AGILITY
“While we’re now a lot smaller company with Green Field Marketing this brings huge benefits in that we will be able to pivot, to move quickly and be more agile in responding to our clients’ needs in Northern Ireland. “We’ve already made a few changes and have some exciting developments in the pipeline. We’ve implemented some software changes and faster technology already but we will keep focusing on driving technology forward.
AMICABLE
It was a very amicable transition as Russell explained. “We are steering the ship now – with an excellent team on board both in the office and the field. The response from our clients has been really heartening – they are delighted for us.” Green Field Marketing will continue to work with its many and varied clients – from the big names like KP Snacks and Dale Farm to the smaller clients – the full spectrum of FMCG is covered. “We want to drive the convenience and impulse sales for customers. Our existing sales teams know their clients’ business needs and can respond swiftly to the market. It’s a fast paced sector, and now with improved technology we can drive sales forward.
RESILIENT AND DRIVEN
“Our sales teams are resilient and driven. We have a fantastic office and admin team too and we are improving how we operate all the time.”
PIVOT
Green Field Marketing Solutions will be moving shortly too into a brand new suite of offices at River House in Belfast’s High Street to allow for a hybrid working pattern, a flexible mix of office and home – reflecting the changing nature of the workplace.
AMBITION
“We are the partner for our brands but our ambition is to increase sales for all parties involved. We want retailers to be delighted to see a Green Field Marketing Rep come through their doors, and for wholesalers trust us to work with their retailers to increase the cases being pulled from their warehouses. They need to know that our field sales teams are the best, that they can come to Green Field Marketing to fulfil their needs.”
TALENT
“The teams we have already really are the cream of the crop. Applicants to our teams know they can build solid careers with us – we recognise talent, then coach and develop their potential with Sales training and building experience in the market. “Over the years, some of the most successful and senior people in FMCG started out as merchandisers with our company.
SAFE PAIR OF HANDS
“Ultimately clients will trust us to represent their business and see us a safe pair of hands to help grow their brands.” What key message would Russell Johnston want to give NR readers? “We exist to grow your brands,” said Russell “Working in partnership with our clients is the key – we share their core brand values.
ENTHUSIASM Leading the new venture, Russell is particularly excited about the future. His enthusiasm, positive energy and commitment to the company is clearly evident. “I’ve worked my way up and made mistakes and learned along the way,” said Russell. “I’ve also had great mentors and worked with real leaders in their field – some of them I still lean on and learn from. “We’re starting from a strong position and it can only get bigger and better. We believe that striving forward and investing in people and technology will be our core drivers. “We want to be the ‘go to’ company for any FMCG brand striving to succeed in the Northern Ireland Market.”
Who Are Green Field Marketing?
Green Field Marketing are a Belfast based Field Marketing company, specialising in the FMCG industry. Previously trading as Contract People, and then PRL In-Market Solutions (NI), before being acquired by Russell Johnston (Managing Director), Martin Rice (Operations Director) and Lisa Curran (Finance Director) through a management buy-out, Green Field Marketing have a wealth of experience in Field Marketing, and are currently working with some of the UK’s biggest brands delivering ongoing success and continuous improvement. When speaking about the company’s unique model, Managing Director Russell Johnston said;
“Green Field Marketing was founded with the concept of delivering best in class service to our clients, in an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner. Service delivery remains our number one priority, and our previous results speak for themselves. We’re starting from a strong position and it can only get bigger and better. We believe that striving forward and investing in people and technology will be our core drivers.”
“We want to be the ‘go to’ company for any FMCG brand striving to succeed in the Northern Ireland Market.” “We are the partner for our brands but our ambition is to increase sales for all parties involved. We want retailers to be delighted to see a Green Field Marketing Rep come through their doors, and for wholesalers to trust us to work with their retailers to increase the cases being pulled from their warehouses. They need to know that our field sales teams are the best, that they can come to Green Field Marketing to fulfil their needs.”
What Do Green Field Marketing Do?
While Green Field Marketing have worked extensively in the drinks trade as well as the Multiples, their main strength lies within Convenience and Impulse. Green Field Marketing currently run fully outsourced sales and merchandising teams for blue chip brands such as KP Snacks, Dale Farm and Royal Canin. These teams are tasked with driving core range distribution, visual presence and NPD into retail stores across the Hendersons, Musgraves, Dunnes and Nisa estates. Ricky Watts, NI Business Account Manager for KP Snacks said;
“We have partnered with Green Field Marketing to manage our outsourced sales team within convenience and impulse for the past 11 years. Through this time, they have shown a relentless drive to grow our brands, and have consistently delivered what we see as a best in class service. The level of reporting we receive from Green Field Marketing allows us to make strategic commercial decisions at head office level, while having the peace of mind that our team of field development representatives have all the training and support needed to achieve continuous success. I couldn’t recommend the team highly enough, and truly believe that Green Field Marketing are industry leaders when it comes to the Northern Ireland FMCG market.”
Green Field Marketing pride themselves on understanding brands, and work in a partnership approach to ensure core values are shared, and goals are aligned. While this is vital to the running of outsourced sales teams, Green Field Marketing also take the same approach when working with tactical clients. Tactical specialities include sales blitzes, merchandising, retail auditing, installations, promotions and sampling. With a tactical workforce of over 100 people covering a wide array of experience levels and demographics, Green Field Marketing are sure to have the right person to represent your brand.
If you are an FMCG company and want to discuss how Green Field Marketing could potentially help to drive you business forward, contact Martin Rice on martin. rice@greenfieldmarketing.co.uk or on 02890770999. Let Green Field Marketing grow your brands.
