IMS EYEING FURTHER GROWTH AFTER CLINCHING EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN

 A FAST-GROWING field marketing company from Doncaster has marked the next major step in its expansion by clinching an international deal.

The new business win will result in IMS Ltd, whose client portfolio includes some of the biggest names on the UK High Street, extending its services into Europe.

After a competitive tender, IMS have been recruited to work in more than 200 stores on a weekly basis across Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland for one of Europe’s leading providers of IT equipment and connecting accessoriesas well as one of Europe’s leading providers of IT Peripheral devices.  Work starts later this month (September).

The deal is a far cry from IMS’ early days, when it was launched by its founder directors from a back bedroom in Balby in 2000. It has grown year-on-year ever since and now employs 25 staff in its new headquarters at Askern and draws upon a national field sales team totalling 2,000.

 “This contract gives further dimension to the company's European expansion and represents a major step forward,” said founder and operations director Steve Radford. “It underlines the fact that distance is no barrier if you have the specialist skills and services being demanded

“This win gives us a strong platform on which to expand even further in the future, continuing to take our innovative approach to field marketing into new markets outside of the UK.”

IMS carries out a range of point-of-purchase marketing activity, ranging from merchandising to price and stock auditing to mystery shopping visits.

The company has a growing portfolio of clients on the High Street, working in all sectors ranging from pubs to pizzas, soaps to stationery.  Tesco, T-Mobile, Nationwide building society and The Guardian newspaper – for whom it delivered an award-winning campaign last year – all feature on an impressive client list of household names.   
 
Notes to Editors  

1. IMSFUSION, The Future Generation of Field Marketing

Field Marketing is a flexible tool used by companies to communicate their brands and evaluate their services out in the field. IMS services range from Mystery Shopping (or secret shopping) in bars and restaurants to merchandising confectionery in supermarkets or auditing razors and toiletries in chemists. Utilising a total e-business model IMS provide Field Marketing activities supported by unique industry leading technology that delivers live interactive results within 24 hours to all clients via their own secure website. IMS Field Staff and Head Office Staff also logon to the IMS website to complete daily tasks such as booking assignments, downloading paper work, uploading results or quality checking completed assignments. Having won the National E-Commerce Award for Innovation IMS are changing the face of Field Marketing for the better with their strategic and tactical solutions. IMS have also launched a new mystery shopping service for small to medium businesses by the name of MysteryShopMyBusiness.com.

2. IMS Directors

Laura Holden – Sales & Marketing Director

Steve Radford – Operations Director

Robert Taylor – IT Director

3. Investors in People

Investors in People is the national Standard which sets out a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals. The Standard was developed during 1990 by the National Training Task Force in partnership with leading national businesses, personnel, professional and employee organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD). The work was supported by the Employment Department..

4. The Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association UK is the leading voice for the direct marketing industry (direct mail, telemarketing, e-commerce and more), championing best practice and self-regulation, so that DMA members can gain competitive advantage and maximise the value of their businesses in an atmosphere of consumer confidence and trust.

Press enquiries: Richard Ford 0870 701 0866

E-mail:richardford@ukims.co.uk 
Website: www.ukims.co.uk