Our Work
Any of us ad gurus can write great copy to make ourselves sound incredible. The proof is in what we do….not what we say. To that end, we have provided samples of our work. There are probably too many to view, but we figure you would rather review some of what we’ve done than read pages of copy describing what we think of ourselves.
Blog
How We Think
We invite you to spend five minutes reading the links to this page. They are short to respect your time, but thorough enough to give you a glimpse into the foundation upon which we’ve built a successful thirty year existence. Of course, we invite you to get in touch with us to explore how we might partner with you to apply these proven concepts to increase your revenues.
The Marketing War
Some never get started.
Some will start “one of these days”.
Some wonder how to get started.
Some start and attack with enthusiasm.
*Did you notice “!” is in our company logo?
Budgets & Bullets
In the “marketing war” the budget is the “gun”. The ads are the “bullets”. The client is responsible for the gun. Our job is to create the best bullets possible and aim the gun so the bullets hit the target.
Two Fronts
Every marketing war has two fronts: External (no surprise there) and Internal. It’s the internal that often gets overlooked. We strongly believe that the staff needs to “own” the message prior to a campaign’s implementation so they buy in to being as good as we say they are “out there”. Being exposed to the message prior to its implementation equates to “being in the huddle when the play is called” and creates a sense of “team” that fosters success. Ignoring the internal can undermine the effectiveness of the external…wasting budget and bullets.
Establishing the Message
Before establishing a marketing plan, we ask three simple questions. The answers to these questions, combined with solid marketing fundamentals, create effective messaging for any industry or product.
What is the “motivational profile” of your target customer?
That is, what are the two or three “hot buttons” that the potential customer really cares about? What is it that makes someone determine which vendor they will choose?
Of those “hot buttons”, where do you have a competitive advantage?
The answer to this question becomes your message. To talk about anything else is to waste time and money. This is often called your “unique selling proposition”. It has a cousin…. “The Marketing Concept”. That is, give the customer what they want. It’s simple, but many miss it.
Is there any seasonal flow to your business?
The answer to this question allows you to budget your dollars at appropriate levels throughout the year. (It’s the old “less wide/deeper” axiom.) If for whatever reason there is a down cycle, rather than try to address the reason, go for the largest market share when “the fish are biting”.
Target Marketing 101
The Media Mix
Digital: The “New” Media
Mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop… the “fish” are definitely swimming in a new pond, and an effective marketing plan needs to cast a message there.
Geo-targeting down to a granular level is a great advantage, and demographics along with psychographics enhance effectiveness.
Perhaps most important is proper utilization of analytic data to foster ongoing tweaks and changes to increase ROI.