MARKETING
It wasn't so long ago that marketing existed as its own discipline, far removed from the more results-oriented world of public relations, advertising and sales. But in today's dog-eat-dog world, marketing must be tied closely to the other efforts going on to generate profits, spur sales, increase market share and strengthen the overall value of the brand. Once treated as an afterthought, effective marketing is just as important as having a good product or service.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of marketing, here's a basic definition:
Wow, that sounds exciting now doesn't it? Makes perfect sense in the day-to-day business world. NOT!
We prefer to think of marketing as being much simpler, and much closer to the core of what a business is trying to accomplish. Put simply, marketing is the awareness of your product or service, the understanding of its value by the purchaser, and a clear communication of "need," i.e., that the purchaser needs your product or service instead of someone else's.
To do that you need to create an experience related to your product or service that is aligned with what you can deliver. In other words, what you are offering must meet, if not exceed, the expectations of the person who's using it. It's great to say are a Nordstrom level business, but if your logo is clip art and your business cards are run through an ink-jet printer, better think again.
Simple, huh?
In concept yes, in execution, no. Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first year because no one knows they exist. Worse, they have not created an interest in their offerings and there is no compelling reason for a potential customer to locate it. All the dollars are spent on opening shop and on the product – marketing, branding, publicity and advertising are afterthoughts.
Makes you kind of sad, doesn't it? The truth be told, a business should be spending as much as 15% to 20% of its gross each year on these strategies – building awareness, refining the brand, ensuring that the promise meets the experience and creating ways to follow-up with the customer to create secondary, repeat and referral sales.
Here's just a few of the strategies and tactics we employ as part of an overall communications program:
- Comprehensive Brand Management - We work with businesses to establish a consistent client and stakeholder experience from the point of first contact to the end of the relationship.
- Employee, Public & Media Events - Gaining exposure via events that stakeholders are invited to is an under utilized way of gaining visibility, leads and buy-in. We help businesses identify opportunities for creating these high exposure events and provide the planning services necessary to execute them effectively.
- Guerilla Marketing Initiatives - There's a glut of advertising in the marketplace. We help small businesses rise above the din by developing innovative and effective marketing initiatives that are truly outside the box. The purpose is to make a splash in the mind of your target audience without busting the budget.
- Internet Branding & Relationship Development - The web is a primary first point of organizational content for many clients these days. We help you assess the usefulness of your site as a sales and marketing tool, providing guidance and counsel on how to improve its use as a branding and relationship management tool.
- Logo & Collateral Development - A clean, memorable image begins at the first point of contact. Many times this is a sales letter, a business card or an invoice. We can review existing materials and realign them with the desired brand or create cohesive collateral from scratch, including logos, business cards, envelopes, stationery and sales materials.
- Marketing Plans & Campaigns - Many companies put this at the bottom of their list as it can be a daunting process. But a carefully devised marketing plan is the foundation of any organization's long term growth. We help businesses develop their marketing plan, from identifying target audiences, challenges and opportunities to creating executable marketing campaigns on all fronts.
- Print Collateral Design - Our award-winning design team can create anything in print, from brochures, pamphlets and sales sheets to posters, promotions and one-of-a-kind marketing tools.
- Product Launches & Grand Openings - Opening a business or launching a product or service isn't as simple as throwing open the door and sending out a press release. The simple fact is there is a glut of these types of ordinary "events." We work with you to create a memorable launch/grand opening event that will not only create a buzz but jump start your sales efforts.
- Tradeshows - The average business has just 10 seconds to gain and hold the attention of attendees. We work with business to create an effective and affordable tradeshow presence, from booth design and lead generation mechanisms to sales staff training and follow-up.
- Web Site Design & Branding - If you have an existing web site, we can assess it and realign it to fit your unique brand and value proposition. If you don't have one, we can design one for you that is affordable, effective and which adds value to your sales efforts and client relationships.
