Top Direct Marketing Agency

Marketing - Should it Motivate and Educate or Aggravate?

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by Larry Rondeau

What impels advertisers to repeat the same television commercials over and over again? When you’re searching for information on the Internet, why do online ads take over your screen? Have studies shown that these tactics induce consumers to inquire, sign up, or buy? Does advertising have to be annoying to be effective?

Researcher David Schumann conducted a study to discover the effect repeating the same commercial had on consumers, reported social psychologists Elliot Aronson and Anthony Pratkanis. Similar to the findings of previous research, Shumann found that repeating an advertisement as subjects watched television increased consumers’ belief in its claims and liking for the product – to a point. Those who saw the ad four times during their viewing period gave the product a higher rating. Viewers who saw it eight times gave it a poorer evaluation. Clearly, they had become annoyed.

Utilizing the Research

To combat this, advertisers began to maintain the essence of the message but vary its presentation. They changed the settings, camera angles and spokespeople. They used multi-channel marketing approaches, deploying everything from television to print to personalized direct mail and customized landing pages along with regular and mobile websites to reach consumers in different ways. It worked!

Upscale discounter Target, for example, employs several top advertising agencies, churning out an endless flow of entertaining commercials and clever print/online ads. All contain the same core messages the retailer wants consumers to remember. And because the ads are done well and varied to avoid wearing out viewers, consumers in one survey said they actually enjoy Target commercials. It must be working – the retailer’s sales continue to increase despite the up and down economy.

Pitfalls

Far too few advertisers have learned from Target’s success. It seems like every local evening newscast treats viewers to the same commercials presented twice – not at different times, but in succession. This increases, not belief and liking, but irritation. Popular websites have ads that completely take over the screen. This can be incredibly annoying for consumers browsing online, especially for mobile users who need an answer on the spot.

Some bloggers who work hard to produce genuinely enlightening material fall into the trap of emailing their readership several times a week. Some do it every day. They seemed to have missed wise King Solomon’s frank advice, “Make your foot rare at the house of your fellowman, that he may not have his sufficiency of you and certainly hate you.” In marketing, this principle helps one realize that bloggers and advertisers always walk a tightrope between getting noticed and becoming notorious.

Effective marketing communication strategies center on the feelings and beliefs of the target audience. As a marketing communications company striving to achieve recognition as a top direct marketing firm, The Allied Group continually considers our clients’ goals/culture and, most importantly, their customer’s communication preferences. This knowledge combined with insight into consumer psychology and effective, tailored design for each chosen communication channel can synergize to produce a fruitful campaign.

How targeted is your list?

Thursday, March 8, 2012 by Melanie Mathews

This isn't a new question...people have been asking this question for years - even before email marketing was standard marketing practice. Every company needs a prospect list and it needs to be targeted.

The next question of course would be...how? How do I develop this amazing targeted prospect list Melanie? Well, I am not saying I have all the answers but I can help a bit. Two simple tasks...

First - make sure that you are making the most of all of your online forms. Capture the info on the people who are following you. Don't give content away for free - gate it! If you released a white paper or case study, gate it with a form for download. That's one of the easiest and best ways to start building a list. Just be aware that if you ask too much you will likely get a whole lot of droppers (people who don't fill out the form and leave the page). It doesn't matter how good your 'offer' is, if you ask for more than a few pieces of info they will leave.

Second - have someone build a targeted list for you using predicted modeling. Your marketing communication strategies can be amazing but if they are falling on deaf ears then it doesn't matter now does it? As a top direct marketing agency, Allied deals with this challenge constantly and we have been successfully building lists for clients for years. Predictive modeling takes your current customer list and builds a highly targeted prospect list based on the data from your customers. It's a bit more complicated but it works.

If you want to discuss this in further detail give us a call or submit your info on our 'form'...

Years of Marketing Bliss

Monday, March 5, 2012 by Steve Condon

My wife and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary this past weekend. We have a lot of "give and take" that makes our relationship work: We enjoy being out together and being with our kids but we support each other's individual interests. She goes away with girlfriends each year; I go away to a Patriots game with some buddies. She goes to a yoga class 2-3 times a week; I run 2-3 times a week. She meets with a regular book club; I play basketball one night a week. As is the case in other successful relationships, each side understands the others' goals and aspirations and encourages those things.

Your relationship with your marketing partner should work the same way. The relationship between a business owner and their marketing partner should be as "open" as any successful relationship you might have in your life. Think of any successful relationship you have - spouse? friend? neighbor? What makes it successful? Certainly we don't need all the details of your personal relationship but chances are the overriding theme is that you have an understanding and expectation of what you expect from that person. You might not be the "best friend" to the next door neighbor but if you have a mutual understanding of each other, it works!

The Allied Group works closely with clients so we have a clear understanding of our role in the relationship. For some clients, we are their main resource and serve as the role of their marketing department, assisting on just about everything from lead generation to promotional printed products to redesigning their website. For other clients, they may have their own marketing resources but they need Allied to "fill in the cracks" of what they cannot do internally.

When you are not clear on roles and expectations, like other relationships, your relationship with a top direct marketing agency could be headed for trouble. If your client expects one service and you expect something else, this creates the confusion that generally leads to bad feelings and frustration -- on both sides!

We suggest you sit and meet with the client on a regular basis to discuss goals and aspirations. Our formal Client Retention Program mandates that regular meetings occur with all of our larger clients so that we always are aware of what they want, what they expect and lastly, how they perceive our value to them. On our side, these regular meetings keep us aware of their constantly evolving needs, allowing us to react to those needs.

We have found these retention meetings to be a great source of information and a chance for both sides of the relationship to discuss the future. Like a good relationship with a spouse or a close friend, a clear understanding of roles and expectations can help pave the way for many years of a satisfying relationship for both sides.

How well do you know YOUR client?

Play Ball (For a Long Time) !

Thursday, February 16, 2012 by Steve Condon

The Boston Globe this week showed their annual picture of a large truck driving all of the Boston Red Sox equipment down to spring training in Florida. This is a much anticipated photo for Boston sports fans, as it signals the end of winter and lets us dream about what our beloved Sox will do this summer. For me, it also strikes me as a reminder about the length of the baseball season.

Spring training gets going in February and the World Series does not end until late October - 8 months! Between now and then, you will probably shovel snow, cut the lawn many times, wish your Mom a happy Mothers' Day, maybe take a vacation, rake leaves, see the kids finish one school year and start another. For baseball players, this is one long season with many ups and downs.

Like a baseball season, your marketing season (which basically never ends) will have those peaks and valleys. A baseball season lasts 162 games and teams will have both winning and losing streaks, there will be injuries, there will be high times and low times. A marketing season will have at times an abundance of leads and opportunities to work on - and there will be be "slow" times. There will be marketing campaigns that work and some that don't. Either way, you will have to persevere through the entire season.

Like a baseball team, your marketing program will have strengths and weaknesses. A baseball team might have a great infield, good hitting but poor pitching. A marketing "team" might have strong creativity and proactive ideas but poor execution. Either way, your strengths need to compensate for the weaknesses so, as a team, you win at the end.

Like a baseball game, you will have many opportunities to score. A baseball game consists of nine innings and each inning allows three batters (at minimum) to make something happen. In a marketing game, you get many chances to make something happen. It will be up to your marketing team to be resourceful (like a good baseball team) to execute a plan for maximum "runs scored."

As your favorite baseball team relies on key areas such as hits, runs and good defense, your marketing team should focus on key areas like lead generation, data appending, promotional imprinted products, and mail order fulfillment services. As the baseball managers rely on statistics to manage and guide their team, a top direct marketing agency uses statistics like ROI, sales conversion, and profit margin to manage their team.

So as we see that infamous truck head to Florida with all the bats, gloves, and balls, it makes you remember the long season ahead for both baseball players and marketing people alike.

Play Ball!

It's a New Year...Now What?

Thursday, January 26, 2012 by David Speakman

As 2012 comes in like a lamb, at least in the Northeast, the question is will it go out the same way? Or have we got some lion yet to come?

Forget about the resolutions, what are you going to do to make sure your roar is heard and you make your presence known in the marketplace? Building an integrated marketing communications campaign would be a great place to start! Sure it isn't as sexy as losing weight or maybe as altruistic as ending hunger or promoting world peace, but it's got one thing that those others don't: you can do it!

Any top direct marketing agency can talk about integrated marketing services or "multi-channel", or "cross-media", or whatever word or phrase you want to call it. At The Allied Group, we're uniquely positioned and qualified to build comprehensive acquisition programs. Rooted in tradition, The Allied Group has been building print campaigns for business development initiatives for over 60 years! Leveraging print with digital, social and mobile media has become our specialty.

If you truly are looking to accomplish big things in 2012 and are tired of the same old results since the economy tanked in 2008/09, we should talk. Marketing communication strategies are only as effective as your ability to get something out the door. 2012 is going to be about less talking and more doing! Are you going to be a lamb or a lion?

Marketing Playoffs: Not One and Done

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 by Steve Condon

For those interested in pro football, you are at "peak season" for yourself - playoff time! For the next three weekends, the top teams in the NFL square off for the right to play in the Super Bowl first Sunday of February. This is the most intense time of the season for coaches, players, and, yes, the fans. Why the intensity? Because these games are all single elimination - you lose, your season is over - "One and Done" is a term often applied to these playoffs.

Fortunately your marketing does not have to be One and Done. The Allied Group defines marketing as "The combination of strategic plans and specific tactical actions done intentionally and consistently to influence the perceptions of a target audience or individual buyer to create, maintain, or grow revenue."

In other words, you have to find the right mix of strategy and tactics for your own marketing program. There is no magic pill or secret potion that is the answer for everyone. Your mix of strategy and tactics will be dictated by some combination of your industry, your company's goals, and you company's internal resources. If the prospects in your business are buying one way, that might be completely different than the business next door. You need to assess your landscape yourself or hire a top direct marketing agency to assess the market and offer advice. Life Science Marketing will be different than Higher Education Marketing, which will be different from Healthcare Marketing.

Once you assess and determine the plan for you, now we are back to the One and Done concept - i.e., don't get caught up that it will be successful right out of the gate. Whereas NFL teams must win NOW or be done, marketing plans should be flexible and leave some room for changes "on the fly." If you are thinking you have one great idea that will answer all the marketing questions, you could be in for a disappointing year.

So, over the next three weekends,root on your favorite team, enjoy the NFL playoffs and all the intensity of the games . . . but leave the inflexible, rigid "One and Done" concept out of your 2012 marketing plans!

Make the Slow Week a "Planning" Week

Thursday, December 29, 2011 by Steve Condon

This week is a coveted week for many folks. The week between Christmas and New Years is a vacation week for many - in fact, for those who are working it is usually a bit slower since many of our colleagues are not around. For many it becomes a chance to "catch up" on piles of mail, email, or other paperwork that was not done "when it was supposed to."

Looking ahead to next year (really, next week) is also a typical activity for this week. For those of us in business know that the "race for revenue" starts back up once the calendar changes to January. If your revenue for this past year hit your expectations, good for you! If your revenue was down from what you expected, maybe not so good. Either way, you will have little time to either celebrate or commiserate over your results. Don't look know but 2011 is leaving and here comes 2012!

Are you planning ahead for next year? Are you ready to surpass goals from 2011? What are the priorities for the next year?

Do you have enough "irons in the fire" to generate the sales revenue you want? Do you need one of the lead generation agencies to help you? Do you have enough business development professional services to keep your pipeline filled? What will you do to increase your sales presence next year?

Hand in hand with sales is your marketing . . . is your "homegrown" system to market your company in line with what you might get from a top direct marketing agency? Do you have enough promotional product ideas to keep your name in front of clients and prospects?

Then behind the scenes . . . how are the operations looking? Need any help with your supply chain management strategies? Is your shipping fulfillment plans ready for the next year?

Bottom line, the calendar might read this to be the last weak of 2011 but for many of us, this should be the "first" week of 2012!

What are you doing this week to plan for 2012?

What's Trending 8

Thursday, December 29, 2011 by David Speakman

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

Yaaahoooo! Let's get right into it...here's "what's trending" according to Yahoo:

Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian and the entire Kardashian clan don’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon, despite the boycott efforts against them. In fact, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star will be raking in a cool $600,000 just to host a New Year's Eve party in Las Vegas! Now that's a way to make a living!

Katy Pery. Katy Perry and Russell Brand are reportedly having 'problems' in their marriage and have been spending 'time apart'. Hmm, didn't know she was married. And I don't even know who Russell Brand is.

Packers fan's ex-boyfriend called out with a sign. A spurned Green Bay Packers fan came up with an interesting way to call out her now-ex-boyfriend - she made a sign at the Sunday night (Dec. 25) football game between the Packers and the Chicago Bears, which caught the eye of the camera man. The sign read, "My cheating ex boyfriend is watching from couch instead." I did actually see this live and it was pretty funny.

Well this "what's trending" series may seem to dip in and out of relevancy and significance. But, again, as a top direct marketing agency building and implementing marketing communication strategies for a whide array of clients in many industries, I find it helpful to have some understanding of pop culture. I will admit that this is certainly "light" stuff, but many times these topics can contribute to building a successful integrated marketing communications campaign.

So here's to a new year filled with compelling, controversial and captivating headlines! I know I've learned a lot, how about you?

Is anyone out there?

Monday, December 19, 2011 by Melanie Mathews

You might be thinking that as you blog away feverishly trying to increase traffic and search engine rankings. While blogging alone will give you some results, you really want to optimize your efforts and increase the traffic to your blog. Blogging is such an important part of marketing communication strategies so why waste your efforts. I recently came across a great article on the topic.

Make your blog title interesting and intriguing
The title is the most important part of your blog post. Make sure your title is engaging and use numbers like "Top 5 tips..." and don't be afraid to be a little controversial and unique.

Make your content easy to read
You want the reader to breeze through your post not struggle and give up. Use bold font and bulleted and numbered lists.

Optimize your content for search
Use keywords in your titles and descriptions and make sure that you are using links within your posts.

Encourage interaction
Don't hesitate to ask for what you want from your readers. If you want comments or suggestions as for them and also make sure you ask your readers to share your posts.

Social media sharing
An important part of any integrated marketing communications campaign or plan is social media so be sure to share all of your posts on your social media channels as well.

To read the original article click here and to learn more about The Allied Group as a top direct marketing agency click here.

It's the Most Wonderful (Marketing) Time of the Year

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 by Steve Condon

Holiday season is busy time of year . . . very busy. Holiday parties. Buying Gifts. Year-end tasks at work. Seeing relatives. There are many things that happen at the end of the year that no doubt make this a stressful time. BUT despite all the stress, we love it!

We love this time of year?? Yes, we do! I will concede the fact that now and then you run into a person who plays "Ebeneezer Scrooge" but overall people love the hustle and bustle of the season! What is it that makes us enjoy this stress? I say marketing!

This season is loaded with marketing to get us pumped up. Start with the traditional start of the holiday season: Black Friday. People used to plan shopping excursions the day after Thanksgiving; now they are planned on Thanksgiving. Check out your Sunday paper with all the advertisements; if you are strong enough to pick it up, you will see loads of ads for that "can't miss" offer at Store X. Drive by any shopping mall until December 24 at closing time and you will see plenty of evidence of the mania that is holiday season.

Does your business create a buzz even close to the holiday season? Are your marketing communications strategies gripping your clients for the entire month of December? Do you have an integrated marketing communications campaign that leaves clients waiting in your parking lot to buy more? Are your marketing and sales support personnel exhausted at the end of their workday because the sales activity was through the roof?

We might acknowledge that the buzz from holiday season is just temporary and will be over on December 26 . . .

BUT wouldn't we all like to have that excitement in our business now and then? What can your business do to help you look like your marketing was done by a top direct marketing agency?

Cloud computing - what is it?

Monday, December 12, 2011 by Melanie Mathews

Being that I am in technology I have been asked many times "What exactly is cloud computing?" Basically it's the delivery of an application over a network like the Internet. Ever heard of SAAS (software as a service)? Well many software companies are moving over to the cloud and just because we are a top direct marketing agency and not a software company doesn't mean we don't talk about cloud computing.

It affects us all and it really is an amazing concept. Marketing and sales support teams can now manage the deployment of new software without getting their IT involved (or involved minimally). I found a great video on the web of what cloud computing is all about. Check it out.

A day in the life of a Customer Service Representative

Thursday, December 1, 2011 by Jenna Kenney

We have all been there.... standing in a coffee line waiting to order a coffee and the employees behind the counter barely smiles and barely greets you. Then after this haphazard (barely there) greeting, they don't listen to your order so they end up making your coffee wrong.

I don't know about you, but that is not the first thing I want to encounter in the morning after getting on the road for work. I just wanted my latte served with a side of a smile.

At The Allied Group, the Client Service Reps (CSR's) don't have much face to face contact with our clients. But we do have a lot of email and phone contact. The way that we present ourselves in our emails and phone conversations is a huge part of the success of our company. If our client's aren't happy with the way we conduct ourselves and don't feel that they have received the best customer service possible, they will go elsewhere.

Here are some customer service tips that I try to use throughout the day in my client interactions:

1) Answer the phone - We live in a world of email interaction and automated phone systems now. When I called my electric company the other day, I had to say 'representative' 4 times in order to talk to somebody. Let's put the human interaction back into our daily dealings! Answer the phone, don't let it go to voicemail. Your customer will appreciate being able to get through to you on the first ring.

2) Smile - Now that you are answering your phone, smile through it. Try speaking with a smile on your face and now without. Your voice instantly changes and sounds a lot more cheerful if you're smiling. Your client will be able to hear that through the phone and will appreciate that you are happy to be talking to them.

3) Listen - There is nothing more annoying than having to repeat yourself. If you listen, you can understand what your client is looking for and get it right the first time. You can also hear what they aren't saying and offer them services, they might not have even thought of yet.

4) Take the extra step - When a client calls to get a printing quote on an item they are always calling you for, offer it to them as a print on demand item. This saves them a step for next time and a provides them with a faster turnaround time on that item. They will be happier with the service they hadn't thought of and you will have proven your value to them as their CSR, saving them time and money.

5) Help customers understand your systems - We have many different systems here that make us a great partner for any organization. One of our most used systems is our Virtual Office which is an inventory management program that helps our clients keep track of their inventory, usage and re-order dates. The system is great for anyone who enjoys keeping track of every little detail when it comes to their ordering needs. But if I don't train and teach my clients how to use that system, the value is lost. Take the time to explain how your systems work and how they help simplify transactions.

The most important part about being in customer service is to have fun with it! When you enjoy going to work everyday, that shows. Not only to your co-workers but to your clients. People like being around, hanging out, and doing business with fun people. That is just one part that makes up a top direct marketing agency.

Get out there and have some fun with it. :)

Your Website Sucks!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 by David Speakman

How often do you hear that? Or something along those lines? As opinionated as I am, with age, I find myself reserving judgment more and more often. Why? Because I typically have no basis for making a statement like that. It seems that 9 times out of 10 (and I've been guilty of this too) these kinds of statements are more rooted in ignorance than insight. And it's not that I'm offended by the comment itself or taken aback by the boldness (or rudeness) of the statement. The question is, what are you really saying?

I've been in the creative services industry for almost 20 years. Having founded a top direct marketing agency and now playing a significant role in the development of many marketing communication strategies, I've developed some pretty thick skin. And often times the rule that I go by is this: if I like it, then it's good. Now, ultimately, it's whether the client likes it or not that pays the bills, but many times those two benchmarks are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Just because a client doesn't like it, doesn't mean its not good. Creativity and design are very subjective topics. What one person likes, another does not and vice versa.

So why does my website suck? Because you just don't find it visually appealing? Because you think you could create or do something better? Because you know what I'm trying to accomplish with my website and know it isn't meeting those objectives? Because you know more about my customer than I do and what their expectations of my website are?

When offering marketing consultancy services, you often feel compelled to make statements and judgments like these. Now it's a matter of style and approach as to whether you make them this boldly or not, but after all, you're probably being brought in to offer some sort of a solution or opinion. But be careful not to judge too quickly. In my opinion, it often shows ignorance rather than intellect!

If it Ain't Multi-Channel, It Ain't Workin!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by David Speakman

This ain't Kansas anymore folks. But it really doesn't have to be complicated either. It's just life as we know it now. Can you say you really prefer radio over newspaper? Or maybe TV over the Internet? Or emails vs. texts? Or how about LinkedIn vs. Facebook. Sure, we all have ones that we like, dislike, use more than another etc..., but, for the most part, we are all exposed to multi-media messages, ads, "buzz" and conversations through multiple channels by marketers, bloggers, friends, family, trustworthy, untrustworthy, relevant, irrelevant, clever and not so clever.

But for all marketing communication strategies to be successful, you have to understand that people are being touched, influenced and exposed to all of this throughout their daily lives, everywhere they are and in everything they do. If you are targeting a very specific demographic, sure you might weight one medium over another etc...but you have to be very careful. Did you know that the 35+ demographic on Facebook is growing rapidly and represents over 30% of the entire user base? So while a truly integrated marketing communications campaign would include social media, you may have backed off on Facebook if your target demo was 42 year old females for example. That would be a mistake.

So in many ways, it has gotten pretty simple. If I told you as recently as 5 years ago that I could reach one in every 12 people on earth, or 81.4% of the US population for FREE, you'd think I was nuts! Well maybe I am a little nuts because it can't be totally free, but, essentially, you don't need a Super Bowl budget to do it, you just need Facebook.

As a top direct marketing agency, combining corporate strategy with ad agency spirit, The Allied Group builds multi-channel, integrated customer acquisition programs that help companies of all sizes and shapes grow.

Why Marketing Automation Fails

Monday, November 21, 2011 by David Speakman

Once you peel back the layer of buzzwords and rhetoric that seems to come with this territory, you actually do come to something very legitimate. Marketing automation (both the theory and the technical application) is nothing short of amazing. In a way, it is the heart of any effective integrated marketing communications campaign. Then why isn't everyone convinced? And, more importantly, why does it fail? Here are 4 observations:

It fails because it is not a light switch.
While I guess it's true that you can "turn it on and off" and sort of control your lead flow...my point is that you don't pull it out of the box, turn it on and wait by the faucet. So, essentially, it comes down to unrealistic expectations. Sure the tool is powerful. But only as powerful as the operator, the content, the strategy, the analysis and the output that comes from all of this combined.

It fails because there's often no owner.
Someone has to own it! Live it, breath it, sleep it...it needs to be someone's life. It can't be an "oh by the way", or "let's get Mike or Martha to put a couple of hours a week into it!" You can't dabble. If you can't make the financial and physical resource commitments that it takes then you're better off not going down this road right now.

It fails because most don't really understand what it is.
It's hard to be successful when you do know what the goal is and you do know you have the right tool, but you don't know what to do next. It's one of those scenarios where everyone is philosophically on board and tactically adept, but have no idea how to connect the two. And many time even a top direct marketing agency will have trouble filling this void.

It fails because of a lack of content.
It's all about content. You can never have enough. If you're selling yield programs to colleges and universities, you need everything from tips, trends and how to's, to case studies, white papers and press releases, to webinars, podcasts, videos and virtual events. Escalating levels of informational and educational content that has been crafted specifically for that prospect and where he or she is in the sales/nurture life cycle.

Of course it doesn't have to fail. Addressing these 4 issues will go a long way to ensuring that it won't! Leave a comment and tell us about your experience with marketing automation, or maybe why you haven't made the leap yourself!

Put Some "Military" in Your Marketing

Thursday, November 10, 2011 by Steve Condon

I have never served in any of the armed forces but I have the utmost respect for those who do. It is their courage and bravery that allows the rest of us to pursue a life of complete freedom: where to live, what to wear, what we can say and what we do for work. As we celebrate Veterans' Day, it is a chance to honor these folks and all qualities they represent.

When I think of the qualities of a soldier (or the military in general), I think about the precise training and procedures that go into their operation. A strong chain of command. A high level of strategic planning. A deep understanding of how their "business" works.

Wouldn't you love to see your own marketing strategy be so coordinated? The Allied Group sees the marketing communication strategies of many companies and we see everything -- from those clients with a detailed plan to those who "wing it" and hope for the best! As a top direct marketing agency, it is our mission to get you in the first group.

Companies struggle with marketing - period! Whether it be an issue with marketing and sales support or full service fulfillment, many companies are good at what their product is. They understand their product, know all the idiosyncrasies, and how to use the product. The part they struggle is how to let everyone know!

Very few companies have a "military-type" plan for getting their message out. For many companies, a "strategy" or "plan" is not a well-designed set of tactics with a specific goal in mind; rather, it is a relaxed approach with various ideas tossed "into the ring" and one idea is decided without a specific goal in mind.

How comfortable would you feel at night if our military planned like the latter?

What's Trending 7

Friday, November 4, 2011 by David Speakman

A little late this month. But, wow, I'm actually familiar/aware of all three of these people & events. This is a first. Here's "what's trending" according to our friends at Yahoo:

Kate Gosselin. I guess the infamous mother of 8 is opening up about coupon blogging and the cancellation of "Plus 8". Riveting.

Wardrobe Malfunction. Do you remember the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show? I bet you do. Well 8 years later, a federal appeals court has ruled that CBS should not be fined for Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. Nice to see the swift action taken by our judicial system.

TJ Houshmandzadeh. Even though I'm a football fan, and I know TJ is a wide receiver, I wasn't aware that he had a "bitter ending" to last season with the Ravens and now he's making his debut as a Raider. Hmm. I guess I do now!

Well, at the risk of being redundant, I will say again... "what does all of this have to do with the world of marketing consultancy services?" To me, in two small words, a lot!

In order to be a top direct marketing agency building and implementing marketing communication strategies for a wide array of clients in many industries, it helps to be aware of what's going on in the world around you. And maybe because of our client base, or simply because it is closer to "marketing" in general, an awareness of pop culture & sports has proven to be more useful than say the world of politics. I guess it's just a better fit.

So there you have it. Another "deep" and introspective analysis of the world around us. Hope you enjoyed!

Top 4 Reasons Why There is No Magic Bullet in Marketing!

Friday, November 4, 2011 by David Speakman

Do you find yourself constantly searching for that little nugget that will make all the difference in your business development efforts? Do you cringe when the topic of marketing communication strategies comes up and you're tired of thinking, you just want results? Does it seem like everyone else gets good results and for some reason you just aren't? Do you have all the hi-tech buzzwords spinning around in your head and are waiting for someone to turn them into something concrete and actionable?

Well, time to wake up and pay attention. Here are 4 reasons why you need to stop searching, stop hoping and start doing:

1. The game has changed. Your audience hasn't. They are still there. And they still buy. And they can and will buy from you. As a matter of fact, it has changed for the better. With technology, you can actually reach your audience with content that is relevant to them much more quickly and cost effectively than ever before!

2. Hope is not a strategy. Acquiring marketing consultancy services may sound a bit lofty. So think of it differently. Pro-active vs. re-active. A pro-active approach, by its nature, eliminates hope as a strategy. Would you rather be the driver, or the passenger way back in the third row?

3. Strategy is not a 4-letter word. To be precise, it's 8. And I can't think of too many 8-letter words that are off limits. Strategy doesn't have to painful. It doesn't have to take a long time and it doesn't mean that you need to turn your organization into a think tank and abandon what you do. But strategy is "thinking" and I don't know how you will successful if you don't think.

4. There is an answer, and it's not magical. A fully integrated marketing communications campaign or campaigns. Print, digital, social, mobile. Analysis, measurement, reporting, testing. Goals, accountability, flexibility and realistic expectations. They're not new words or revolutionary ideas. Are you willing to work with a top direct marketing agency and get in the game?

Oh, by the way, I lied! There is a Magic Bullet. It's some kind of blender/food processor thing. So if you think that might help you attract new business, I suppose you could give it a shot!

Technology for the Technologically Challenged!

Thursday, October 20, 2011 by David Speakman

Let's face it, technology has pretty much invaded every aspect of our lives. And as much as you try to "unplug", it has become increasingly impossible to navigate your way through a typical day without encountering technology in some way.

But what about those of us who are technologically challenged? Or even worse, technically technologically challenged!

Well, good news...there's an app for that (just kidding)! But seriously, technology has actually set out to address this very issue. With the introduction of "smart" technology (devices, services, software etc...) the technology itself actually possesses more and more of the intelligence. So in order for the user to have a successful user experience using very sophisticated technology, the user doesn't really need to be all that, well, smart!

As a top direct marketing agency, if I help build an integrated marketing communications campaign for example, I don't necessarily need to understand how it "technically" works. Nor do I need to really understand the technology that makes it work. And that doesn't decrease my value at all.

The bottom line is that the world is predominately populated by relatively unsophisticated people (myself included). For technology to be fully adopted and successful, it needs to penetrate the market beyond the tech savvy and be simple enough to be useful by those who struggle to work their DVR.

Marketing and Foliage: Season for Change

Thursday, October 20, 2011 by Steve Condon

For those of us lucky to live in New England, we experience all four seasons. Right now we are in Foliage Season - leaves change colors and signals the end of the Fall. In addition to locals doing long weekends and day trips up to Northern New England, our region is invaded by folks from all over the country visiting to "catch the foliage."

As the leaves change, it does remind me of the cycles that a marketing program takes. Business, like the foliage, have changes, some season to season and some week to week. With the current economy and the rapid evolution of technology, change comes fast and furious.

With this change often comes the constant need for evaluation. Do you regularly assess your current situation? Have you ever worked with a top direct marketing agency? When was the last time you reviewed your integrated marketing communications campaign? Can you even remember the last time you thought to buy promotional products?

Many companies do not ask these questions often enough. Not asking questions can be a devastating decision. You know your business better than anyone so you know better than anyone that you need to re-evaluate many times during the course of the year.

With foliage, we have the benefit of knowing that - without doing anything - the colors will come back every year. We don't get that same benefit in the business world.

What will your season of change bring for your business?