Commercial & MarketingGraduate TrainingProduct ManagementProduct DevelopmentCreative and Design3 Minute TestEmployee stories
With a team of 30 professional marketers, 288 Group provides some of the best marketing career opportunities in Dorset.
Collectables
Comprising 4 key disciplines, the Commercial Department sits right at the centre of our collectables business running our roster of successful brands: The Westminster Collection, CPM Prestige Gold & Silver Coins, Change Checker and Collectology.
Product Management
The product management team are the business managers of the company. They are responsible for the lifecycle of each and every product, from the initial product concept, through development, sourcing and buying, to the final marketing strategy and analysis.
Digital Marketing
The internet provides an ideal platform to tell the engaging stories that help people really get into collecting. Consequently, digital marketing is at the heart of what we do, with a team of Digital Marketing specialists working to support the business. Our key focus is in the following areas:
- Email campaigns
- Paid advertising on Facebook, Google and other platforms
- Content generation and marketing
- Social media
- Testing new platforms and technologies
We have a strong social media presence, with a particularly active Facebook community of Change Checkers, who also use our Web App to collect and swap the coins in their pocket.
Offline Marketing
Offline marketing still plays a huge part in our marketing strategy. We send over 4 million pieces of mail a year and advertise extensively in the national press and on TV. As in the digital space, we have an Offline Marketing Specialist to support and educate the business in all things offline marketing.
Creative
Our team of designers produce a real range of creative work from new coin designs and product packaging, to print-ready advertising artwork, as well as a whole host of digital graphics. We also have in-house video production, which we use for TV ad production and online videos.
Sitters
Sitters operates its own Marketing team encompassing brand, digital and social marketing.
A rare opportunity to start your career with a leading Solent 250 business, with almost 80 years of successful trading and three decades’ experience training and developing marketing graduates taking their first step on the career ladder. Whilst your friends are slogging their way through the anonymous London corporate world, you can be making a name for yourself, whilst enjoying all the benefits of living by the sea and avoiding the London costs and commute.
What we offer you…
- A young, fun and dynamic team – most of whom joined as Graduate Trainees
- Experience the whole product journey – from sourcing and purchasing through to marketing and analysis
- Gain wide-ranging digital and offline marketing experience from Tik Tok to TV; Google to press advertising
- The opportunity to work towards the CIM Diploma in Marketing
- A well-established development path from Trainee Product Manager, through Junior Product Manager, targeting a full Product Manager position within your first 2½ years
- Additional opportunities to work as a marketing specialist or in product development
- Opportunities to progress into people management roles – your manager has taken that very same journey
- Experienced and capable management support, with 93% of our people stating they enjoy working for their manager
- Excellent bonus scheme that last paid out at 200% of target
What we’re looking for in you…
- You’re keen to be challenged and pushed to succeed
- You’re a confident communicator – face-to-face, in writing and on the phone
- You’re happy to work with autonomy and initiative (given the right training)
- You’ve got an appetite to learn and develop yourself
Most of our graduate trainees have an excellent academic history, with a strong degree. We do not have any specific degree preferences and we are always happy to consider applicants with a less traditional educational background – please use your covering letter to explain your journey.
Meet our recent Graduate Trainees
Benefits of working for 288 Group…
As well as receiving a competitive salary, you will also benefit from:
- 25 days annual holiday, plus all Bank Holidays, rising to 30 days with service
- Your birthday off as a FREE extra day’s holiday
- Flexible working hours
- Annual company trading bonus
- Private healthcare
- Free annual flu jab
- Enhanced company sick pay
- Additional maternity / paternity benefits
- Annual summer and Christmas parties
*Some benefits are subject to a qualifying period
About 288 Group Ltd
With almost 250 employees and sales of over £40 million, 288 Group is one the leading 250 businesses in the Solent region, spanning along the south-coast from West Sussex to Wiltshire. Now under the leadership of the third generation of the Allen-family, 288 Group offers the perfect blend of family business principles and a professional commercialism. We embrace that in our mission – “To Deliver Excellence to our Customers, our People and for Business Success”, and in our values of: Respect, Ambition, Openness and Support.
You will be working within our industry-leading collectables division, where, each year, we help over 200,000 customers build collections that range from the 50 pence coins you find in your change to exclusive gold coins issued in an edition limit of fewer than 25 pieces. Recognised as official distributors for The Royal Mint, The Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint, as well as the official commemorative coin partner for Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, we are by far the UK’s leading independent distributor of new issue coins.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, you will need to complete the online application process, providing us with your C.V. and a covering letter.
Our experienced product management team forms the backbone of the Commercial Department, with responsibility for everything to do with the product from the initial concept, through its development, managing the supply change and planning and implementing the final marketing.
In effect each Product Manager, who looks after their own range of products, has their very own business, with true responsibility for its sales and profitability.
The Product Development and Delivery Team are responsible for bringing our products from concept to creation across the business. Working with suppliers across the world, the team are responsible for creating final products that meet or exceed collector’s expectations by exploring new and innovative approaches to our product goals and ensuring reliable and flexible product supply.
Our product development managers are responsible for handling project timelines, budgets, and resources to meet product delivery deadlines and ensure all products from concept onwards are delivered on time, on cost, and to the best quality. The team are also responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with our key suppliers and licenses such as Warner Brothers, Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Royal British Legion.
3 Minute Marketing Suitability Test
Due to the nature of our business, we expect all members of the marketing team to have a basic level of maths and English. As many of the products that we offer also have a background in British history and / or current events, we also look for some evidence that you have a reasonable level of general knowledge
We normally ask people to complete a quick test at interview. Take a look at the questions below to see how you would get on with the test at interview.
A. General Knowledge
1. Between which years did the Second World War take place?
2. Who is the Prince of Wales better known as?
3. What is the capital of Germany?
4. Who was the UK’s first female Prime Minister?
5. Who became king after the Battle of Hastings in 1066?
B. Maths
1. A marketing campaign went to an audience of 25,000 customers and achieved a response rate of 5%. How many customers responded?
2. A product is selling for £80. We offer a 20% discount. What is the new selling price?
3. A product sells for £10. It costs £4. We have a marketing cost of £18,000. How many products do we need to sell to break-even? For the purposes of this question, you can assume there is no VAT or any other additional costs.
C. English
Please correct any grammatical mistakes you find in the paragraph below.
The westminster Collection is Britain’s leading independent distributor of commemorative coins. As a member of the marketing team your expected to work closely with a number of mints’, bying there coins on a wholesale basis and marketing them to UK collectors.
Answers
Other than for design positions, we are looking for candidates who are able to achieve a minimum of 60% on this test.
A. General Knowledge
1. Between which years did the Second World War take place? 1939 – 45
2. Who is the Prince of Wales better known as? Prince William
3. What is the capital of Germany? Berlin
4. Who was the UK’s first female Prime Minister? Margaret Thatcher
5. Who became king after the Battle of Hastings in 1066? William the Conqueror (William I)
B. Maths
1. A marketing campaign went to an audience of 25,000 customers and achieved a response rate of 5%. How many customers responded? 1,250
2. A product is selling for £80. We offer a 20% discount. What is the new selling price? £64.00
3. A product sells for £10. It costs £4. We have a marketing cost of £18,000. How many products do we need to sell to break-even? For the purposes of this question, you can assume there is no VAT or any other additional costs. 3,000 products
C. English
Please correct any grammatical mistakes you find in the paragraph below.
The Westminster Collection is Britain’s leading independent distributor of commemorative coins. As a member of the marketing team you’re expected to work closely with a number of mints, buying their coins on a wholesale basis and marketing them to UK collectors.
Harriet
PRODUCT MANAGER
Sophie
JUNIOR PRODUCT MANAGER