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The Brief:

Strengthen sales and marketing foundations for growth

Keylink, a leading UK supplier of chocolate and chocolate-related products, was navigating a period of change while seeking to expand its presence in the bakery sector. The Managing Director wanted a fresh perspective on the company’s communications and marketing approach, and how it could better support Keylink’s growth ambitions.

Consultancy

Keylink logo

THE CHALLENGE

Keylink had an experienced and committed team, strong market knowledge and established customer relationships, but sales and marketing activity had evolved without all the structure, systems and measurement needed to support the next stage of growth.

Customer data sat across multiple systems, limiting insight and opportunities for segmentation. There was scope for greater alignment between sales and marketing, and existing tools and platforms were not always being used to their full potential.

There were also opportunities to make more of Keylink’s deep sector expertise through its communications.

HOW I HELPED

I began with desktop research and leadership briefings to understand the commercial context before bringing the sales and marketing teams together for a structured workshop.

Over two days, I mapped current ways of working, tools, systems and capabilities, facilitated a candid SWOT analysis and explored where stronger alignment between sales and marketing could create greater impact.

The review helped surface both immediate opportunities and some more fundamental issues around data, measurement, planning and priorities.

My recommendations focused on strengthening the foundations for more joined-up and measurable growth. I advised Keylink to:

  • align sales and marketing around shared objectives, clearer planning and more consistent collaboration
  • improve how customer data was captured, connected and used to inform decisions
  • move from activity-led to outcome-led marketing, with clearer measures of success and stronger prioritisation
  • make better use of existing tools and channels to improve consistency, engagement and reporting
  • become more proactive in using Keylink’s expertise, insight and customer stories to build visibility and authority in the market

I captured the recommendations a strategic overview for the Managing Director and a practical action plan for the marketing team.

OUTCOMES

The work gave Keylink a clearer view of where its sales and marketing approach needed to evolve and a practical framework for making progress.

Early outcomes included:

  • greater alignment between sales and marketing around priorities and ways of working
  • clearer understanding of the role data and CRM needed to play in supporting future activity
  • progress in addressing data and systems challenges, including CRM implementation
  • a more structured and outcome-focused approach to digital communications
  • a stronger foundation for measuring the contribution of sales and marketing activity to commercial growth

The work also created momentum beyond the initial consultancy. With the new CRM in place, the team began creating leads and planning more joined-up marketing and sales workflows.

LOOKING AHEAD

The initial work created a strong platform for change. The next phase is about embedding these foundations and accelerating impact through:

  • a fully integrated sales and marketing approach
  • smarter use of customer data and insight
  • increased visibility across both chocolatier and bakery audiences
  • a more measurable contribution to commercial growth

For me, the most valuable aspect was having a highly experienced comms and marketing professional take a critical look at how we are set up and how we work. With no prior knowledge of our industry or business, Marcie teased out the issues we needed to focus on. She was respectful and listened carefully while being direct when needed.

Our time with Marcie gave us a lot to think about and action. With our new CRM now set up, we’ve started creating leads and planning marketing and sales workflows. I look forward to reconnecting with Marcie soon.

Sanjeev Ramchandani

Managing Director, Keylink

Marcie brought an objective perspective to our project, that helped us refine our sales and marketing strategy, strengthen alignment across the teams, and establish clear priorities for growth.

Her expertise, collaborative approach and ability to challenge us when we needed it ensured every session delivered actionable value. The work has given us a solid foundation, and we’re already seeing the benefits as we put the strategy into practice.

I’d highly recommend Marcie and I hope we get to work together again in the future.

Toni Dunleavy

Marketing Manager