About Marketing Sciences Unlimited

The “Health angels” group is Marketing Sciences Unlimited’s health and wellbeing team, who run health assessments several times a year to encourage staff to do a self-assessment and log with the company's EAP online programme. This provides hints and tips about lifestyle, exercise and diet that will impact on people’s wellbeing. The team also organises lunchtime walks and tours to get people away from their desk in a social environment. Recently they organised guided tours of Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College. The company have shower facilities that enable staff to cycle to work and exercise at lunch time, with a large number of staff taking advantage of the cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme. They are involved in an annual Creston Cycle Tour and always have volunteers join for all or part of the weekend, supporting or cycling with colleagues from other agencies. They have run mindfulness training, which was well received, and put on weekly yoga or Pilates classes that anyone can join. Marketing Sciences have a large breakout room with kitchen facilities and seating. This leads out to a balcony area and staff are encouraged to have lunch away from their desk and use the communal area to take time out on a daily basis. They have access to training for managing workloads that staff can choose to attend and the company have previously organised an external consultant to talk about mindfulness with staff. 

Marketing Sciences have monthly whole service meetings, in addition to regular team and individual meetings, where everyone gets together at the end of the day for drinks and nibbles. Directors and others provide a brief update of what has been happening and what is coming up within the business. As part of this they collect “shout-outs”, where colleagues and clients provide praise for a job well done, which is highlighted at the monthly meetings. They also have quarterly “values awards”, which recognises achievement and anyone who is working in accordance with company values and going the extra mile. The values are communicated and discussed with all staff via one to one meetings, as part of appraisals and on top of this all new joiners are given all information necessary. Meeting rooms are named to reflect the company values. Finally the Managing Director meets all new starters to provide an overview of the company and share the values.

Marketing Sciences Unlimited have an annual local charity that they raise money for, normally through team events and social evenings. People propose a new charity each year and everyone votes for this. In 2015 it was Muffin’s Dream, a charity dedicated to helping families who have a child or young adult with a disability or illness. In 2016 it was Simon Says, a child bereavement support service. They are a sponsor of the Theatre Royal in Winchester and have been for many years. Jane, Marketing Science’s MD, is an Honorary Fellow of The University of Winchester and they have an on-going relationship with the Business School. Jane recently sat as an external member of the validation panel, scrutinising two new degree programmes and sponsoring two apprenticeships for each of the programmes starting this year. Furthermore Marketing Sciences are involved in Southampton University’s mentoring scheme and offer work experience placements from local secondary schools.