Introduction

Entrepreneurship happens when someone sees a market need and has an idea that will satisfy that need. The entrepreneur follows up, explores and develops the idea into a real product or service.

In post-war Britain, in the late 1940s and 1950s, Donald Shepherd saw that there was a need for simple, easily made, portable buildings. These had the potential to provide all sorts of accommodation. Donald worked on his concept and began production of the first Portakabin buildings in 1961, registering the Portakabin trademark in 1963. Today, Portakabin provides modular and portable buildings for many uses. These include offices, nurseries, classrooms, doctors’ surgeries and airport buildings.

Portakabin is the UK market leader in modular construction. Its products meet the accommodation needs of many different customers. It delivers products and services tailored to individual customer requirements. 

Portakabin is a well-known brand and most potential customers already know the company’s name. 

Portakabin promotes its business in ways that clearly distinguish its products and services from those of its competitors.

This case study explores how Portakabin promotes its brand. The starting point is a market analysis to identify the key reasons why customers buy its products.