Tony Dowling, ex MD of Guardian Media Groups Cardiff based Real Radio and South Wales Evening Post publisher South West Wales Publishing has announced he is to partner with 18 year digital marketer veteran Mark Hullin to form a brand new digital “Inbound Marketing” agency based in Swansea.

Both men are from Swansea and are keen to benefit from the burgeoning digital start up culture that the Swansea Bay area is encouraging. They will initially base themselves on the High Street of the city centre in the fantastic Tech Hub collaboration and co working space.

Dowling is keen to point out that the business addresses a genuine gap in the market, based on the increasing frustration businesses feel when it comes to hiring traditional marketing agencies that typically employ  individual digital media techniques such as search engine optimisation, social media and content marketing in isolation of an integrated digital marketing strategy.

Dowling stated,

“Businesses all over the country seem to feel that ‘marketing’ doesn’t work for them anymore. Marketing as most people understand it is dead. The pace of change in terms of digital media especially, means that the rules and the skill sets needed to succeed in today’s overwhelming media landscape are different from those marketers and business owners needed even a year ago.”

Hullin, co-founder in the enterprise says

“It’s critical that businesses understand their customer's buying behaviours and the journey they take to purchase. The impact that talking to each individual customer directly can have on the ongoing relationship and the lifetime spend of that customer is incredible. It’s vital that businesses utilise real time marketing data and feedback to make sure their marketing is consistently relevant and working hard to produce measurable return on investment.

Dowling added,

“Today’s marketers need to blend a scientific approach with an understanding of their customer data and tie that into tradition marketing skills like great design, and excellent copy writing.” He continued.

“No single approach works any more. People buy differently these days, and your marketing people need to be expert in the entire process. Being expert in just search, or just social media is not good enough.”

“We are the only agency I am aware of in South Wales that follows the inbound marketing methodology. This methodology and our HubSpot platform partner, integrates the client acquisition process from marketing through sales and beyond into customer services.”

“Industry research shows that, by following the inbound methodology, businesses can expect an average of FOUR times increase in leads for their business, within 6 months. That’s game changing.”

Currently in the launch phases of the business the two men are looking to engage with businesses and demonstrate to them the proven results of the inbound methodology.

Real Inbound is offering free consultations to Welsh business owners and marketers in order to help people understand the power of digital marketing and the inbound methodology.