Page 2 - Excellence in Execution

Tennis Anyone? Are You Returning Your Shots?

Friday, August 12, 2011 by Steve Condon

tennis This summer I have been playing tennis one night a week. I have always enjoyed watching the professionals, maybe even watching some of the finals of Wimbledon or U.S. Open; but as far as playing, I was never involved in any organized tennis teams or clubs. But as my basketball group looks to stay active in the summer months, we have been meeting and playing tennis – as much a social as an athletic endeavor.

As I re-learn the few tennis “things” I might have learned as a kid, I have enjoyed playing the game as an adult. I like the competition and trying to play with my (minimal) strengths and take advantage of my opponent’s weaknesses (by the way, all of these guys would not consider themselves "tennis players" so there are abundant weaknesses all over the courts we play on). Having a group with varied talent levels play tennis together and you get a different tone for each game of the match.

Playing tennis is similar to managing and marketing your business. In tennis, a competitive match is made up of sets, which are made up of games, which are made up of individual points. Maybe that type of thinking is not as obvious in business but a successful business plan is made up of a strong marketing plan, which is made up of specific business operations, which is made up of reliable and capable workers executing the plan. Lots of other things go into this “tennis versus business” analogy but you get the idea.

Like tennis, business owners and marketing folks have to constantly be in “tennis mode.” Each day there are new “shots” coming across the net and you have to use your strengths to “return the shot.” The Allied Group is constantly on the lookout for new innovative ways to return these shots that we experience in the marketplace. Plus, we need to be creative in the ways we suggest our clients return their everyday shots.

Are you receiving any "tough shots" in mail order fulfillment services? How about lead generation? Web design branding? These are all areas that some of our clients are experiencing difficult situations and are asking us for help with their return shot.

Now with my beginner tennis story there is no one but me to return the ball; I will just have to practice and figure it out . . . BUT for those tough shots in the business world, don't be afraid to get that outside help and make the strong return shot!

Is your company ready to make the strong return shot?

Marketing and Yardwork: It Never Ends

Monday, August 1, 2011 by Steve Condon

As we turn the page on July and enter August, those with a yard probably start to get sick of the "yardwork thing." Back in the Spring it was fun to get the grass, flowers and mulch going and fixing up after a long winter. Now, after a couple months, it starts to get routine as you cut the grass, pick some stray weeds amd sweep the driveway to keep the yard looking good.

The same story goes for a company and their efforts in Marketing and Fulfillment. We have all seen initiatives at our own companies get off the ground with all the best intentions, only to have the routine set in and see the intiative becomes "yesterday's news."

As a strategic marketing consultancy, Allied is constantly working with clients to gauge the success of their marketing efforts. As a company who offers mail order fulfillment service, Allied works with clients to make sure their processes in this area are running as best they can.

Our goal with clients is to make sure that their strategic plans are followed and carried out. If Marketing in Medical Devices is your plan, are you on track for your company goals? If Life Science Marketing is your future, how are you addressing that? Whatever is your future, are you constantly nurturing those initiatives, similar to the way you keep up the yard each summer?

Allied's mission for all clients is keeping your mission "on point" and keeping the routine out of your company.

Are your marketing intiatives becoming routine?

The (Marketing) Heat is On!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 by Steve Condon

OK, I am someone always intrigued by the weather. Growing up in the Northeast, I have come to love the extreme weather that we have in our part of the country. With the weather in New England, we get the "good, bad and ugly." As an example, shovelling snow is not on my list of favorite things to do but I accept that it "comes with the territory."

One area of weather I do NOT complain about is the heat. I realize I have the ability to go from an air conditioned home to an air conditioned car to an air conditioned office - not much to complain about there. But the heat is not a bother to me: going for a run, cutting the grass, walking the dog, outside watching my kids' sports - bring on the heat!

These days companies have other "heated" concerns: maintaining sales revenues, increasing profit margins, and continuing a strong presence in their market. For myself and my collegaues at The Allied Group, we see it from both sides: to make sure our own "house" is in order, but more important, to make sure that our clients have the right mix in their marketing and fulfillment programs.

When someone speaks about the right mix of marketing strategy services and full-service fulfillment, it can mean many things: exploring new lead generation methods, the desire to buy promotional products as a giveaway, or the need to redesign websites. For any of these, it is essential that you analyze these areas so you have the right mix.

Allied recently worked with a large department at a local university who is feeling the heat from the President's office to maintain their program's revenue. We were hired to help them assess their current marketing plan and there were a handful of areas that we suggested they need to improve. Will they act on all the suggestions? Probably not but they at least know what is the best route to a good mix.

Sometimes the issue is not that you don't fix a problem; rather the issue these days can be understanding that the "heat is on" and you better do something.

How are you beating the heat?

Mr. President, Mr. President . . . Don't Forget Our Industry

Monday, July 11, 2011 by Steve Condon

Recently President Obama commented on the printing and mailing of the Federal Register as a "stack of expensive doorstops" and "stupid spending" that "doesn't benefit anyone."

As someone who has made a career in the printing industry, I agree with the Printing Industries of America response that describing printed products in that way may give a negative perception of our industry and brand our industry as dying and irrelevant.

Mr. President, I invite you to open your eyes to our industry and seeing the other areas that have risen as offshoots of our industry: Mail Order Fulfillment Services, Lead Generation, Web to Print, Website Design -- to name a few!

Many companies in our industry -- like The Allied Group -- still offer traditional printing services but have opened their eyes to the changing industry and now offer these other products and services.

For companies like Allied, it has changed the way we sell ourselves, how we work internally and how we deliver our own marketing message to the public.

For our clients, this makes us a more valubale resource when it comes to their overall marketing goals.

Furthermore, the printing industry remains one of the top industries in the U.S. There are more than 875,000 people working in this business; within the U.S. manufacturing sector, the industry ranks Number 2 in number of establishments. Most important, if you are interested in "keeping the money around," when it comes to print, almost all product consumed in the U.S. is consumed by people in the U.S. - compare that fact to another industry and you will see the print industry needs the support from folks like the President of the United States.

I have worked in this business for 17 years so, yes, feel free to called me a "homer" and biased toward an industry that has served me and my family well . . . But you don't have to take my word for it: Ask one of my 875,000 colleagues in the business -- chances are that one of them is a close friend, relative or neighbor.

Feeling the Power

Monday, June 20, 2011 by Steve Condon

My wife and I took our kids this week to Washington D.C. I have been to D.C. a couple times before, both as a kid and as an adult, but each time I go I am reminded of the "power" I feel when I am there. As a tourist, I know it is a small area to cover, but as a citizen I realize that HUGE decisions are made there that affect the entire world - there is a powerful presence about the place.

Many of us are not in the business of government but your company needs to exude that same power. Whether you are handling a lead generation program, a mail order fulfillment service, or a web design branding project, all companies should make their clients feel that same "power" that one feels when walking the streets of the nation's capitol.

Showing your clients a sense of power and confidence breeds a strong partnership that can survive the turmoil that comes in any business relationship. Clients need to know that you are "in charge" when they turn over a critical project and you are managing it with the care given to a high-level governmental initiative.

What have you done today to show your top clients that you are "powerful" and in charge of their business?

Playing Your Role

Friday, June 17, 2011 by Steve Condon

The Boston Bruins Win the Stanley Cup! First time since 1972 and great fun for Boston sports fans like me who have enjoyed watching our four major sports all win league championships since 2004! Great time to be a Boston sports fan!

The thing that sticks out with the Bruins -- and most championship teams, for that matter -- is the ability to execute as a team. Each person on the team performs a role and if each person performs their role, collective success will follow. The Bruins epitomized this concept and beat what many said was a more talented squad.

Whether it be a lead generation program, a data to print project, or a shipping fulfillment process, team members need to be aware of their role and execute their task. Like most organizations, The Allied Group has roles: we have a design team, a print production team, a fulfillment department, and others as well. Each of these groups meet once a week to discuss projects and offer up any concerns. We invite the fulfillment folks to share postal information with the designers so we can get better postage rates. We invite the Production team to share their concerns so we can avoid issues at that stage. This "team" effort recognizes that everyone has a role and executing your task is important for the whole task.

Needless to say, our goal is not necessarily a Stanley Cup -- rather a "victory" for Allied is when our individual players come together to provide the client a cost-effective solution to their marketing challenges!