The HTA Marketing Forum in October gave delegates an insight into the advances in marketing to help them stand out from the crowd.

Covering all disciplines, the key takeaways were:

Reports of retail death are greatly exaggerated. Despite 69% claiming to shop online to avoid queues, only 3% of Britons say they no longer shop in store and 64% of people still enjoy browsing in store. (Anthony Earl, POPAI UK & Ireland).

Digital marketing is the way to keep up to date with marketing trends, but print, if done properly, helps smaller business to compete with the bigger companies. (Graham Thomas, Eight Days A Week Print Solutions).

No matter who your consumer is, they will likely care about the environment in some way. Use this to your advantage. (Carol Wright, Hozelock).

Visual merchandising works around key visual principles such as symmetry, alternation, utilising height and creating visual focus points. (Sarah Manning, Visual Merchandiser, pictured).

The benefits of vlogging include increasing trust, providing added value, standing out from the crowd, showcasing strengths and awareness, maximising visual content and giving your business a voice. (Robbie Cumming, HornbyWhitefoot PR).

Boosting posts can be a great way to create more customer engagement and increase brand awareness on a small budget. –(Josie McGhee, HTA).

Remember your customers are human and you never know what they may be going through. Don’t always try to upsell and see them as more than just a number. (Annabelle Padwick, Life at No. 27).