Stark Marketing

25/02/2025

Remember Kaliber? No, not the Danish rap band, Polish hip hop band or the family of Russian cruise missiles. I mean the non-alcoholic beer brewed by Guinness and featuring Billy Connolly in the adverts. *That* Kaliber.

Well - it launched way back in 1986 and is still being made. But it got me thinking about the rise in low and non-alcoholic drinks. The sector is growing, but (in your experience) - is any of it worth drinking?

My response would be 'yes', 'some' of it is.

So apart from taste - what else needs to change to make these drinks more commonplace?
This isn't a blog listing my 'Top 10' - nor do I list all the things I think need to change. Perhaps that's one for another time. In this instance, it's just a thought provoker. A stick to loosely rattle a cage, but not aggressively.

I'm just wondering what your take is...

https://stark-marketing.co.uk/blog

12/02/2025

The drinks industry gets a lot of flak about the negative effects of drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, a lot of this is deserved - however, there are lots of benefits associate which nipping down to the local for a quick pint.
Drinking in moderation - a positive view.

As someone who grew up in a pub, brewed beer, distilled gin, toured more distilleries than I can remember and happily spend some 'me time' with a pint, possible a book and my thoughts -

14/01/2025

Last year I decided to give some of my time and support to a small charity who help re-home neglected and abandoned dogs and cats.
The first bit of support was a press released which expanded on the usual "a pet isn't just for Christmas" message. We used the experience of the charity to discuss how one of the big factors of pet abandonment or relinquishing to charity care is a change in life circumstances. This can range from the breakdown of marriages, relocation due to work - and so-called 'Covid pets' which seemed a good idea during lockdown, but still need some serious looking after now they are mature animals (who don't adjust well when their owner now needs to return to the office five days a week).
If you have an interest in animal care, adoption or simply want to support a great charity, please do check out The Yorkshire Rescue and see the great work they are doing.

Christmas is almost upon us and you might have seen us in some local media over the past week.

Although we absolutely love animals, we still feel it’s important to caution people into not making unconsidered decisions when it comes to getting Christmas pets (or indeed making bad decisions at any other time of the year). A great example of this is the number of unwanted post Covid lockdown pets we are still getting calls about!

So we decided put out a message which tells about the joy of pet ownership, but also delivers some harsh realities about the number of abandoned and mistreated animals in the UK. There are some sad statistics in the article - but we feel that awareness is very important.

What we DO want for Christmas is for pets to have safe and loving homes and that is exactly what we work towards each and every year - and as such, we’ve been really busy with fundraising throughout December, and would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us - with a few additional special shoutouts to Pets Foundation, The incredible team at Pets at Home Guiseley and Stark Marketing for their support too.

Your help, support and donations really do help us to make a difference and care for animals when they really need it most. THANK YOU!!!!!

In terms of our media appearances, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the publications helping to spread the word, including The Star, Sheffield , The Telegraph & Argus , The Press in York and Your Harrogate Radio

Click on the following links to see the news coverage we received.
(https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/the-yorkshire-rescue-were-still-experiencing-a-large-number-of-post-covid-lockdown-referrals-4910812)
(https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/24796746.yorkshire-rescue-warns-pets-christmas-gifts/)
(https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/24804852.warning-pets-life---not-just-christmas/
https://www.yourharrogate.co.uk/local-news/harrogate/harrogate-rescue-charity-urges-careful-consideration-before-getting-christmas-pet/

We hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and continue to love your pets and support us and other charities in 2025.

Team TYR ❤️🎄

02/01/2025

No plans for the year? What about the Q1? Or even month 1...?

www.andrewstark.co.uk

17/12/2024

One of the biggest influencing factors to me and my business is the people I have weekly calls with to give each other support, suggestions, motivation and if required, a kick up the backside. (you know who you are you amazing people).

The thing is, running your own business can be lonely at the best of times. It's always demanding and can drive you mad too.

Prior to finding and being part of a small group of like-minded people to challenge me and make me accountable, I paid for coaching. The reason why? I was simply stuck. At a brick wall. Lost sight of any goals I once had. I needed inspiring.

So what can a coach bring for you?

It can vary of course, but for me it brought the following;
- Direction
- Clarity
- Focus
- Appetite

But it's important to know that this was MY own conclusion. Not someone else's.

In my experience (and the way I operate) a coach doesn't give you answers. They give you motivation. The help you over obstacles. They encourage you to think differently.

Yes, this might include some well used marketing strategies and techniques to help develop you and your brand - but my main aim is to lead you on a path where you arrive at conclusions and breakthroughs yourself.

SO....If you're sat reading this and are very aware that 2025 is fast approaching and you know in your heart you needs it to be different than 2024 then perhaps consider what a coach can do not just for your business, but for you too.

The first step is quite easy and free too. We just chat for 20-30 minutes or so. That's it. No obligations, no hard sell. Just drop me a line- [email protected] / https://andrewstark.co.uk/hello-there-coaching

If you want to hear from someone I worked with - click here to hear a testimonial from Henry; https://lnkd.in/ePbXjKfA

12/12/2024

The year 2025 is looming and never too early to start preparing. As we approach the new year, it's crucial for businesses and entrepreneurs to lay the groundwork for success. I'm offering exclusive limited deals, including a 'Power Hour' session and 3 months of Marketing Consulting, designed to set you on the right path for 2025.

I limit the number of clients I take on to ensure each receives the attention and support they deserve. Visit www.andrewstark.co.uk to explore these opportunities and secure your spot by contacting me in December. Act swiftly as spaces are filling up - two have already been taken this week.

To benefit from these offers, all I require is a 50% commitment at the time of booking, granting you access to my services with savings of up to 20%. It's a win-win situation for your business growth.

#2025 hashtag hashtag hashtag

30/10/2024

Recent work done for The Wright Wine and Whisky Company's private bottling under their 'Old Smithy' label.
This is a photoshop mockup as the final printed label went on the product and sold out immediately..!

Three creative options were submitted - each with a different take on the origins of the product and/or the island location and it's strong connection to cask-owner Julian.

12/09/2024

Always great to hear from Henry Willard - especially when he has such kind words to say about me!

I worked with Henry at a stage when he came from a recording studio position to starting his own business and was wearing many different hats at once. It had become apparent to Henry that trying to fulfil many different roles and multiple services and offers wasn’t sustainable. He knew he needed to find the right path forwards.

Over several months we focussed on what his core offering was, and what problems it solved for his customers. This meant saying goodbye to, or at least ‘pausing’, some services as we really boiled down his offering to a core element giving him direction and focus.

So pleased to say that Henry approached our coaching sessions with an open mind and he certainly put in the work from his side. He's flying now - it took me a few weeks to pin him down to record a video for me!

I’m so pleased - and it's always a pleasure to catch up with Henry and hearing how he's doing.

If you want to heard more from Henry, click here for the full testimonial; https://lnkd.in/ePbXjKfA

For a quick, no-obligation chat about how I can help you - book a slot with me here; https://lnkd.in/ekshvy_7

30/07/2024

Here's Part 2 of my conversation with Joe Fattorini.

Here we talk about Joe's TV exploits, canned wine and wines from 'challenging' places.

Find the full series of 'The Discovery Sessions' here; https://andrewstark.co.uk/the-discovery-sessions

25/07/2024

I've recently been speaking with fellow-Yorkshireman, TV personality and wine expert, Joe Fattorini.
When you get two people from Yorkshire talking about alcohol time just flies by and the conversation covers a lot. So much so that this is just part 1 of 2.
See what Joe has to say about his career in wine as we look at some of the tools and techniques used by companies to engage their audiences.
https://andrewstark.co.uk/the-discovery-sessions

03/06/2024

Wine from Lanzarote...? It's just for tourists...isn't it?

I love conversations with people in the drinks business as it gives an opportunity to look at consumer perceptions.

When I spoke to Ollie Horton recently, we discussed how wine from this very dry and volcanic island hasn't just cropped up a few years ago - and how this is both an opportunity and a challenge for him and his business.

This isn't a marketing blog about metrics, SEO or PPC, or the best grape variety for volcanic wine making. It's about the challenges of breaking down misconceptions, educating and bringing people on a journey of discovery - whilst still maintaining the very essence of what makes the product unique.

Take a look at my latest 'Discovery Session' with Ollie from Wine Shop Lanzarote; https://andrewstark.co.uk/the-discovery-sessions

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

Want to know more about Ollie's tours and shop?
Tours: https://winetourslanzarote.com/?ttafid=35089
Shop: https://wineshoplanzarote.com/?ref=starky