20-21_David Robertson.qxp_Grid 14/05/2024 09:54 Page 1
OVER THE
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BY DAVID ROBERTSON OF JP POZZI, ELGIN AND BUCKIE.
back to school
‘Every day is a school day’ or so the old quote goes and that has never been more true than in retail in 2024. I recently went ‘back to school’ for three days, attending several workshops to challenge myself and the way I run the business. As a former school teacher, I am a big believer in that we can continue learning whatever stage in life, we won’t get full marks every time, but that’s not the point. Many of us will have been running our business, prior to attending the workshops I businesses for a number of years, whether in wrote down a list of I wanted to achieve from retail, publishing, as an agent, trade supplier or them. These included… whatever. We will all have quirks and ways of 1. To gain one specific bit of new knowledge doing things which may or may not be the best from each workshop. way of doing them. 2. To have reassurance that I was working in Even after many years of experience I know the right way towards goals within that there are many elements that I can sharpen up topic. on. Life, social media and many other 3. To have one follow up thing from each distractions can make me time poor, usually workshop to ensure that the learning was late for things and generally give me a feeling not simply a ‘write it down and forget about of not quite hitting the mark. it’ type of experience. With this being the case I embraced Growth 4. Finally, I wanted to speak to as many Week, an initiative instigated by our Chamber businesses across as many sectors to of Commerce, of which I am a director. It gauge how they were feeling about the key included three days of workshops and topics challenges that we are facing - footfall, that were conceived to rising costs, rates etc. stimulate, challenge and One workshop was run Anyone who stops learning is ultimately engage the by Ailsa Stinson whose old, whether at twenty or participants in learning. business is B is for Brand. eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The quality of Branding can often be – Henry Ford speakers was first class mistaken for simply being and the ticket price was your logo and while that is heavily subsidised as this was its first year. Of the nine workshops on offer I decided to attend four and in addition I also signed up for a Masterclass with Davina McCall, which focused on her life and business. As it represented a significant time commitment for me out of the 20 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Above: Hands up who wants to learn something! Below middle: This is the first year of Moray Chamber of Commerce’s Growth Week. Below: A fuzzy recollection of David Robertson as a school teacher.
part of your overall brand, it is certainly not your brand. The workshop was really excellent in that it prompted you to examine your own brand and what it says about your business. It also asked whether you think that members of the public
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is the noblest. Second, by imitation, which is the easiest: and third by experience, which is the bitterest. – Confucius
would associate your beliefs with your brand? One really interesting point for myself was a discussion around a branded house or a house of brands. I was aware of this with companies such as Unilever being home to many wellknown brands, but it got me thinking about our business. Without really realising it we have a branded house with Pozzi, Bijou, Bijou by the Sea and all the brand architecture challenges that this brings. The session looked at market research on your brand and the net promoters score, which even small brands can do simply and cheaply to find out what their customers really think