10 Things I Know About … Good PRAs originally Published in Worcester Business Journal, August 17, 2009 10. Have an objective 9. Have a defined message 8. Be relevant 7. Respect your audience 6. Find your audience 5. Position yourself 4. Make it easy 3. Be persistent 2. Be ready 1. Start a conversation Building Connections, Sharing InformationWhat does “smart marketing” mean to me? Well, what I have always told my clients and prospects is consistency and visibility. It is the equal consideration of this process in which businesses build strong or stronger customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves. Marketing is what a business does when they have a product or service and need prospects or customers to hear or see a message about it. They should want their customers to hear or see that message as often as possible. As a Business Development person I listen for “needs” or the “pains” in order to sell a product or service. If someone isn’t hungry they aren’t going to eat. I started my marketing pilgrimage in early 2001 as a marketing specialist for a wholesale/retail membership club. Doing in-club events and training customer service reps at the membership desk how to turn a free trial into a paid membership. Another component to “smart” marketing was team member morale. I spent 9 months out of the year generating team building contests, which lead to sales dollars. A happy team is a happy company. After spending almost seven years in retail marketing I moved to advertising sales. This was a whole different end of marketing for me where I learned more about consistency and relationship building. In adverting sales as an Account Executive with several media outlets (under one corporation) I worked hand in hand with the editor of the paper to find ways to increase the distribution and double the sales of the paper in just a few short months. By working together as a team, the publication was featured in the Newseum in Washington, D.C., for being a local paper not only surviving in a struggling economy but for thriving. As one of the newest members of the Exsel team, I am motivated by my passion for networking and building relationships. It is my hope to take the “smart marketing” idea of Exsel’s and share it when making my connections and sharing information. I am a true believer in building lasting relationships and getting to know the needs of our prospects and clients to better connect with them. Scratching That ItchSmart marketing solves problems, plain and simple. As a designer/wordsmith I like to think the success of a project is directly related to the visually bad-assery of the layout and the cleverness of the copy, and this is true to an extent. But the real measure of a successful, smart campaign is whether or not it works. Of course, this is awfully tough to measure unless there are clear cut goals and realistic expectations of what the client hopes to accomplish with their creative. Is the goal just to be noticed? Increase business by a certain percentage? Appeal to a new demographic? Refresh a tired brand? You see where I’m going with this. It’s all about the game plan. Without a game plan, you’re basically a boxer throwing haymakers, hoping to make a connection with somebody. Every once in a while this may work, but ultimately you’re burning valuable resources in an act of desperation. Not exactly a winning strategy. So once you have developed a solid outline of what you are looking to achieve, how do you go about making sure these aspirations are met? Why do some campaigns work exactly as planned while others fail miserably or, worse yet, go completely unnoticed? While many factors can affect the outcome of a campaign, the recipe for success lies in two very important parts of the marketing process: determining the audience and crafting the message you are sending them. The first step, finding the audience, begins with the client looking in the mirror. What are they offering their potential customer? Do they believe in what they are selling and do they believe their customer’s lives will be enriched by their product/service? If the answer is no, then stop there. As advertisers, we look for angles as to why the customer should not live without XYZ product/service. If the client can’t explain to us why the world should care, how are we supposed to tell the customer they should care? Most of the time there is an audience and you just need to figure out who has the itch that needs scratching. This is accomplished through research, trend analysis and data collection. Once you know who you are talking to, it’s time to figure out what to say and how to say it. Establishing a clear, consistent and accurate message is the best way to tap into your customer’s psyche. And more importantly, say it in a manner they can relate to, in the mediums they are most familiar with. Obviously with the constant evolution of how we are getting our information and communicating with our peers, determining the most effective mediums is a great challenge in itself, and one that must always be explored when tasked with a new campaign. No longer is blanketing local newspapers and publications with print ads and a 30-second radio spot a sufficient marketing plan. I’m not saying they don’t serve their purpose, but without supplementing these avenues with online awareness and social media integration, you are really missing out on the more expansive landscape that is available to talk to your customers and start a dialogue. Today’s customer doesn’t want to be talked at, they want to be part of the conversation. With platforms like Facebook and other online outlets, the conversation is going on with or without you, and all you can do is join the party and speak your point of view. This takes us back to point #1: Know your audience, and speak to them honestly. Transparency is king in today’s advertising game, and believe me, your audience can spot a phony and nobody can paint a picture pretty enough to hide that. Advertising is always changing, with more of the power shifting to the customer. What hasn’t changed, and what will never change, is that people have needs and it is our job as advertisers to help satisfy them, or at least point them in the direction of who can. Basically, smart marketing scratches an itch, and I like to think we’ve got some pretty long fingernails (figuratively speaking of course, we also believe in good grooming habits here at Exsel, most of the time anyway). Asking “Why?”Howdy! I’m Bells. Who Is Bells? It was a humid day in August, not long after my graduation from Clark University, when I came to Exsel as an intern. Four years later, I’m a permanent part of Exsel’s Accounts team. In my time here, I’ve learned from some great people, worked with clients ranging from hose manufacturers to massage therapists, and changed the way I think about marketing. To go back in time a little, I was 17 and looking at colleges. I had no idea what to focus on. Everyone said, “Go for communications. You can do anything with that.” I took their advice, completing a double-major in Communications and Theater. After that, I got a Masters in Professional Communications. Though I only took a few marketing/advertising classes, this has all helped me at my current job. Art classes help me realize the significance of icons and symbols. Philosophy classes made my arguments stronger. Even in theater, playwriting helps me with copy and acting made me a better presenter. Every day, even in my free time, I become a better advertiser. My biggest hobby is reading comic books. There may not seem to be a big connection between comics and advertising, but think about it. One of them involves pictures and (sometimes) words coming together to tell a story or send a message. The other often features superheroes. What Is “Smart Marketing”? When it came time for Exsel to take on a new identity, our rallying cry was “Smart Marketing.” To me, smart marketing is asking “Why?” It’s reviewing our practices and asking at each step, “Why are we doing it this way?” If the answer is that we’ve always done it that way, it’s not good enough. Even as we built this site, we didn’t just look at our competitors and copy them. We dissected what we wanted it to do and how best to do it. These days, when we are approaching a potential client, we don’t give them the same pitch we would give someone else. We ask, “Why should they choose us over another agency? What can we specifically do to help them?” When someone comes up with a grand idea, we don’t shoot it down. We ask, “Why couldn’t we do that?” Anyway I’ve always been the youngest one here in the office. I’m up on pop-culture or always (try to) know the new technology. So that’s what you can expect from me – the new idea, the younger viewpoint. Although, next time, you can expect my opinion on a classic advertising medium. If you’re interested in more of my writing or hearing some of my ideas on comics, check out my website at www.bellskitchen.net. See ya, Making Sense of “Smart Marketing”Hi. My name is Thom and I love marketing and advertising. Aside from driving a racecar, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else for a living. I love the creative psychology and playful storytelling attached to each project. I hold two degrees in communications and have been working in the field since 1997. Exsel’s new position of “Smart Marketing” means different things to different people. To me, smart marketing is all about authenticity. It’s about loving what you are and living what you’re selling. Smart marketing is about being open and honest and telling stories that are relevant to your customers through the appropriate channels. It’s about aligning your marketing strategies with the mission and vision for your company and creating a field of excitement that surrounds your entire organization. I also believe that holding on to the past won’t get you any closer to the future. I think Margaret Wheatley said it best in her book Leadership and the New Science “Whatever your personal beliefs and experiences, I invite you to consider that we need a new worldview to navigate this chaotic time. We cannot hope to make sense using our old maps. It won’t help to dust them off or reprint them in bold colors. The more we rely on them, the more disoriented we become. They cause us to focus on the wrong things and blind us to what’s significant. Using them, we will journey only to greater chaos.” I hope that you’ll come to define your own meaning for “Smart Marketing” and share it with us at Exsel. This Is Smart MarketingHonestly when I was told Exsel was starting a blog as part of their new website and we would all be participating I thought to myself “THIS IS SMART MARKETING!” I’m Dar and have been with Exsel for over five years. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I truly like what I do! Daily I interact with phenomenal clients, outstanding vendors, and our spectacular Exsel Team. I’m certified in SEO and truly intrigued with the whole concept. It’s cool because I get to use my creative and analytic skills concurrently to give rise to a more search engine friendly final product. Of course SEO is an on-going learning experience and in coming months I will share some of my thoughts with you. As an agency, working hand in hand with a company to create their brand is genuinely exhilarating and fulfilling. There are so many variables involved and the process can be an eye opening experience to the client. As I was pondering this process it dawned on me that everyone starts branding themselves at a very young age. Everything you do is part of your brand – this is true no matter if the brand is for a company or if the brand is for you personally. Thinking about it I realize when I was three or four years of age I already knew if I wanted long or short hair…if I preferred to wear dresses or pants…and if I enjoyed playing with dolls or trucks. No doubt there were certain colors, books and food that I was drawn to. All those ‘choices’ became part of who I am – yours become part of who you are…they say to the world this is who I am or this is what my company stands for – and this is how I/we should be perceived! Before working in advertising and marketing I never thought of branding or the fact that everyone does it…I did it. And just like a company over the years will change who they are…we all change who we are. When I was five I was different than I was at 15…. at 25…and again at 40 (but hey let’s stop here with my age reference!!), you all get the point. We live in an ever-changing world and we should embrace it…who you are today most likely will not be who you are in ten years. That people is powerful! Consider your brand and who you are. How do your family, friends and co-workers see you? Is this who you want to be? If it is congratulations! If it’s not…change it…reinvent. I recently read a story about a little girl with Down Syndrome. Her mother asked her how she stays so happy and she said, “I just do…if you want to be happy just choose to be happy,” so simplistic – yet so smart. Just choose to be how and who you want to be…enjoy your life. I welcome any comments to this little Dar “insight.” Take care, be happy and stay tuned! My Inaugural Blog PostIn some respects this blog post has been 20 years in the making. Exsel happens to be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and I’m proud to say I have been part of 18 of those 20 years! Being in charge of the day-to-day operations for the past few years, I have a much greater appreciation for the founder of Exsel – Donna Messier. As far as I’m concerned her accomplishments as a successful businesswoman are only overshadowed by what a caring and giving mother she has been to me and my three siblings. The reigns have officially been passed and I only hope to approach the level of success she has had in her outstanding career. Job well done Mom! Thinking about this anniversary, I’ve realized the dichotomy between reflecting on my own personal journey to this point and constantly visualizing the future for Exsel. When I think back it’s probably little surprise to me that I ended up in this arena. I remember being required to declare a major during my first week at college (I thought I had at least my whole freshman year to decide). It seemed like hours in my mind, but Marketing and Advertising were the words that finally came out of my mouth. The intrigue to me was the impact you could have on people, whether from a powerful visual or simple words used in just the right context. The curveball (I had to get a baseball reference in here somewhere) came shortly after I declared my major – I actually switched to accounting! This probably isn’t much of a surprise for those close to me. The technical and analytical part of me won out at that point in my life. In the end, I did get an accounting degree and went on to become a CPA. Sorry, I can’t help with any tax questions as I was one of those “auditors” that everybody was so happy to see. Truth-be-told, I had a terrific three years with the accounting firm. I was exposed to so many different businesses and worked with a great group of uber-smart people. I’d like to think it gave me a good foundation for running the business-side of agency. At least my accountant is appreciative that he doesn’t have to explain reconciling entries to me each year! Near the end of my stay at the accounting firm I came to realize two things. The first is that I had a knack for computers. The second, which was a little more profound, was that the agency my mother started was creating some cool stuff! To this day I still get calls from friends and family for computer (mac only please) and home theater support. This technical ability came in handy when I made the move to Exsel in 1993. It allowed my to oversee the creation of Exsel’s digital workflow. I’m a little further removed from the production aspect these days, but still like to pull up a chair to a workstation every now and then. I think the years spent as a Production Manager, Account Executive and Vice President have translated to understanding realistic goals and both internal and external processes. I think this experience helps ground our strategy and execution of deliverables leading to more effective and rewarding relationships with our clients. This seems to be a pretty good segue into the second part of the dichotomy mentioned above – visualizing the future for Exsel. Over our twenty year history we have and need to continue evolving. The agency was originally built on package design for the sporting goods and toy industries. Today, we service clientele from a wide spectrum of the B2B and B2C space. The changes in our industry have been profound, not only over the twenty year period, but just within the last few. We are immersed in a push for inbound marketing. The pace of our lives and the resulting time constraints on people certainly make our profession of marketing and advertising more challenging. How many people fast-forward by commercials on their DVR’s because every minute seems to be accounted for? This is an example of the challenges we face. We ultimately need to be in front of that consumer on their terms and when it makes sense for them. In order to find this proper intersection we need to use … say it with me … Smart Marketing! This is the vision I have for Exsel. Every task we take on needs to pass this question – Is this Smart Marketing? Whether it’s building brands from the ground up or reinvigorating existing brands, creating messaging that resonates or finding the proper medium to deliver that message – Is it Smart Marketing? It’s only four words, but they are four words that will make us accountable to our clients and continue to push ourselves. I think that’s about it for now. I’m off to one of my girl’s games (so proud – starting varsity shortstop as a freshman). Please drop a comment about Exsel or anything else for that matter. Thanks for reading! |
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