I was browsing the fruit aisle for a healthy snack and noticed this packet of strawberries in heart-shaped packaging.

‘How clever,’ I thought.

And then it got me thinking even more.  

How could you and I use simple methods in our own marketing to stand out from our competitors?

Just one way in which we can differentiate our message is seasonality.

With Valentine’s Day a very recent memory, you might be thinking ‘strawberries in a heart-shaped box? That’s an easy connection.’

But seasonality, or timing, can work for absolutely any business.  

Let’s take an accounting firm that helps businesses reclaim tax under a scheme where retrospective claims of two years can be made.

Given that most companies’ financial year-ends are March, wouldn’t a compelling message in February be, for instance, a ‘Don’t Burn Your Money Alert’?

Supported with a call to action of ‘get in touch now or lose one whole years’ refund’, I know that I’d act.

And yes, I did buy the strawberries.

So what are the magical four words?

“Pick up the phone!"

Because hardly anyone calls anyone anymore, people really enjoy receiving your call.

That’s as long as you’re a good listener, are positive and call with a reason in mind, of course.

So, whether you’re looking at providing even better customer service or want to make contact with someone you’re connected to on LinkedIn, get dialling!

However, switched on companies always ensure that when they don't win, they find out why.  That way they can take a view on how to adapt their approach to increase the likelihood of success.

What companies miss though, is the opportunity to ask what their WINNING FACTORS were.  This obvious question just seems to bypass so many companies. 

They may be so glad of the win, especially if it breaks a barren run, that in the euphoria of celebration, people forget to ask their new customers, "What made you choose us?" Once you know this, you can focus on this in future bids. 

It's also worth asking your existing clients what you're doing right and why they choose to stay with you - and even better - recommend you to others.  Of course, you should be garnering this feedback as part of your relationship management process.  If not, what better time to start?

This handy thought leadership piece demonstrates, through research, why and how the gap widens between the winners and losers.

So which one are you? 

The reason being that Birmingham will never win it. 

When you look at past winners, Glasgow, Liverpool and Londonderry, it's quite clear that one of the main drivers of the City of Culture is to deliver economic growth to historically greatly depressed economies. 

In a way, we should be grateful that Birmingham didn't win it.  Who wants to be a winner in a race of economic losers? 

What would be even better is that we didn't waste a single more minute or penny on such titles (conservative estimates of the costs for the bid currently total £200k). 

We need to start appreciating that we are, in fact, ALREADY a city of culture. 

We say that we are a 'cultural capital' and a 'global city with a local heart', but do we really believe it if we're having to enter beauty competitions to be nominated as such? 

We don't hear London or Manchester resting their marketing mettle on such awards, so why should we?  Switched on cities such as these realise what to bid for and what not to bid for. 

The city is littered with the ghosts of competitions past: the European Capital of Culture, the recent UK City of Culture, the Millennium Exhibition and the National Stadium are just a few examples.   I'm not saying that we shouldn't enter competitions.  Let's just enter ones appropriate to our status that we have a strong likelihood of winning.

I end by offering my thoughts to the city's hoteliers and leisure marketeers, that the best way to attract visitors to our 'urban shores' is to provide an unbeatable experience whilst here.  And to effectively market what we offer. 

Let's focus on that and not on competitions that we will not and should not win.

With other news items this morning including the construction sector once more going into freefall with the collapse of the Building Schools for the Future programme and a quagmire of confusion over what's happening with LEPs, I think 'possible' is a tad too optimistic.

Fronted by retail guru, Mary Portas, this particular programme, Under the Moon, was a classic. 

A likeable, yet misguided, pair of hippies (Dazzle and Dennie), couldn't understand why their outdated, unattractive, Glasto house gear wasn't selling in uber-wealthy Kingston-upon-Thames.  The added attraction being Dennie's son, who worked in the shop clad in D&G (not the designer apparel, but a DRESSING GOWN!  And we're not talking a Noel Coward version either).

Profitably provide what people want.  It really is that simple.