Call Us: 877-651-4076

Email: info@marketingsymphony.com

Archive for February, 2010

22
Feb

DALLAS, TEXAS (FEBRUARY 10, 2010) – Marketing Symphony LP, a leading, strategic integrated marketing communications firm, has been selected for inclusion in the highly-acclaimed PODi 2010 Digital Print Case Study collection. This collection showcases successful case studies in a broad range of vertical markets and business applications. One of Marketing Symphony’s client projects was recognized as an outstanding example of the immense capacity and potential of digital printing.

The client project named, “Resource One Credit Union Engages Young Adults,” addressed the financial services sector and involved a direct marketing and lead generation campaign. Resource One needed an effective way to market their Generation Y product suite, MyLifeMyMoney, to their existing member base between the ages of 18-30. Marketing Symphony developed a creative direct mail campaign incorporating personalized uniform resource locators (PURLs) as a response vehicle. With its casual look and messaging, this campaign attracted the attention of young adults and the number of MyLifeMyMoney account holders increased 273%. The campaign made full use of integrated cross media: transitioning from a static “interrupter” letter to a dynamic “information” video into an “interactive” micro website that generated content based, on visitor response.

“Both Resource One and we are thrilled to receive the PODi honor for the MyLifeMyMoney project,” said Andrew Szabo, Founder and Chief Strategist, Marketing Symphony. “The power of digital printing applications is unparalleled and we, as a firm, continually develop integrated marketing campaigns that demonstrate creativity and provide measurable bottom-line results for our clients.”

Download a copy of the PODi white paper today.

Category : Integrated Marketing | PODi | Blog
3
Feb

Everything we do in marketing sends a message!  Just as in a savory sauce, all of your ingredients should compliment one another and work together to create the perfect flavor.  I have talked to many clients who say, “Why do I need a logo?  My logo never game me any business.”  While your logo, your business card, or your tagline may never get you a piece of business, all of the ingredients used together can make a sauce with the perfect appeal for your target audience.  This week, we will cover how to use your basics in your marketing sauce.

Adding to the basics: Let’s say your basic ingredients are prepped and on the table—your business card, logo, tagline, URL, and so on.  Now, you need to combine them with another ingredient, a networking function.  At the networking function, you are trying to interrupt people, to get their attention.  When looking at the room of possibly 30 people, you may be overwhelmed at first.  Trying to sell your product/service to thirty people in a short amount of time can seem impossible.  You are right—it can be impossible.  So, what is my advice?  Don’t sell to the room. That’s right; don’t do it.  In fact, if people know you are not trying to sell to them, they may actually listen to you.  I know it sounds unconventional and possibly pointless.  Not only is it NOT pointless, it works.  You are not selling to those 30 people, you will sell to the people they know instead.  If those thirty people know 100 people, suddenly you are selling to 3,000 people instead of 30.  What a better use of your time and resources!

Using the basics: Now, you want to use your basic ingredients along with your new ingredient, networking, to begin creating the perfect sauce.  Let’s say you are able to give a 30 second commercial at the function.  First, make sure the people in the room have your business card that contains most of your basic ingredients.  What I do next is to say something like, “My name is Andrew Szabo.  I’m the Marketing Chef.  I speak to professional service senior partners or managing partners at law firms.  If you know such a person, please put their name(s) on the back of your business card and pass it to me.”  Of course, you need to specify your target audience when delivering your commercial. At this point, the pressure is off because the people in the room know you are not trying to sell to them.  In fact, most of them are probably not your target audience anyway. Before you read this article, you may have wasted hours and gas money going to functions that brought you little or no business.  Now, I am giving you a strategy that works!  You have business cards with names of people who are in your target audience.  Also, you have someone they know referring them to you. I ask the person referring me to their friend to please email them to introduce us and Cc me on the email. Now, members of my target audience are being interrupted by someone they know instead of by me. How are they able to make the referral?  They have my business card with all of the necessary information.  By themselves, business cards may not get you business, but as part of the sauce, they work as a key ingredient.  It is a perfect strategy, and it works!

Your personal touch: Even if you use someone else’s sauce recipe, you always want to add your own personal touch.  When someone follows through by introducing you to people they know, you should always send them a hand written thank you card.  It is an extremely valuable use of your time.  I guarantee it will impress the person who referred you, motivating them to give you more referrals.  Remember, our business takes off when people think of us first, often and well.  Write the cards—it makes a difference.  You should also send the potential client an introductory email.  They have already been interrupted; now provide them information about your business and establish credibility.  They will see your email signature, and you can send them an article. In your email, you should send them a link to your website too where they can find more information. You are now adding additional ingredients to your sauce to create the perfect appeal for your target audience.  Your unique sauce will assist you in building the relationship you need with your potential clients.  When they trust you, then they will be open to taste the sauce, to become a client.

The sauce you make is extremely important to the success of your business.   If you add just the right ingredients, I promise you will have more business.  When you establish a relationship with potential clients using powerful ingredients, they are likely to ask you for a proposal.  In this phase, make it as easy as possible for them by simplifying the process as much as possible.  You can do this through taking credit cards and offering prices you know your target audience can afford.  When you have done all of this, your sauce is complete.  It possesses a savory and unique quality that appeals directly to your target audience.

Category : PR | Strategy | Blog