Ep.109 - Peter Marks: Understanding consumer culture and behaviour through nightlife

Through decades of experience in leisure culture and the nightlife industry, along with endless feedback and research, Peter Marks knows his market, audience and customers like no other.

This episode is all about recognising patterns and embracing change to stand out in a digital world with old school approaches that work. Through his role heading up The Deltic Group, Peter is proving how his knowledge can benefit any entrepreneur, and that there are more parallels between nightlife and fitness than you might think.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Peter Marks started his career in nightclubs in 1981, and has seen considerable change throughout the industry. There were a lot more nightclubs and streets were a lot fuller back then. This has meant Peter has seen the leisure world evolve over decades, with businesses coming and going, experiencing culture shifts and learning from behavioural changes time and time again. However, the disciplines surrounding the business are the same, and parallel the fitness industry almost perfectly.

In his current position as chief executive of The Deltic Group, Peter has come to be known as the go-to guy for all things in leisure and business. Encouraging teams to grow in their careers, his insight has ensured that his foundations remain grounded in pathways to success while being able to recognise patterns through industry research and be flexible enough to embrace change.

The Deltic Group is the UK’s largest operator of late night bars and clubs, with over 50 nightclubs in dominating positions around the country. The Group has a strategic focus on investing in its estate, people and entertainment to create great nights out for its customers. It is dedicated to being a best in class responsible operator, and in addition runs the ‘Echo Trust’ charity fund, which regularly donates to children’s hospitals and schools in the local areas surrounding its venues.

The Deltic Night Index is The Deltic Group’s quarterly research, examining how consumers feel about the leisure offering in towns and cities. Every paper published offers insight on expenditure, frequency of nights out, duration, consumption statistics and unrivalled levels of detail for anyone to discover what club culture is all about.

For more information visit delticgroup.co.uk

 

Episode highlights - 

• The importance of benchmarking and recognising trends, to the point of leading industry research in customer and client behaviour through your own research.
• How multiple factors such as industry shifts, licensing and levels of debt all contribute to the success of clubs and management companies alike.
• When is the best time to benefit from the collapse of other companies and competition, through intelligent buyout strategies and partnerships.
• How to adapt as an industry when it comes to unexpected changes in demand and income from the market.
• How to deal with the challenges of rents and renegotiating property and space costs.
• What you can do to service a market where people’s tastes have drastically changed. These days customers and clients want more, with surroundings and design to provide Instagramable moments they can share.
• Why going old school with marketing is the ideal way to stand out in a crowded world of digital. Don’t forget about the value of ‘in real life’.
• How the customer experience has changed in the way of staff service and making people feel special.
• What are the causes of a raised experience for members and clients, and how you can embrace lower costs of modern equipment that will create the ultimate environment for your offering.
• Why you need to learn what price points work in each location – both club and city or town – and how to balance investment in particular sectors of your business.
• How long you should wait before refurbishing and changing the image of your club, and how competitive pressures to change have relaxed over the years.
• Why it’s important to remember the basics of cleanliness and hygiene in order to maintain popularity and appeal to a broad customer base.
• The importance of learning from failure, particularly when trying to raise capital, and how you can use your entire experience to better the next time you try.

 

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Peter Marks…