Marketing Campaigns

How important are a company's marketing efforts? How do they differ from an advertising campaign? Quite simply, marketing campaigns are vital to a company's exposure and subsequent success. Brand recognition is often what sets apart those well-known companies and products from those who go unnoticed. Companies will often cut budgets from other areas of expenditures to avoid having to compromise their marketing budgets. Because the benefits extend far longer than any marketing campaign itself, it's often wise to avoid cuts in marketing budgets. But how do marketing campaigns differ from advertising? Actually, a company's marketing efforts are inclusive of the advertising efforts. Advertising, along with other marketing areas such as public relations, tradeshows, and even community involvement efforts, fall under the company's marketing department.

Companies tend to stick to the "tried and true" methods of previous campaigns. Falling into this predictable cycle hampers your efforts. After so many television commercial spots with the same message, same shooting locations, and even the same promotions, customers tend to tune out. This is where an experienced marketing representative comes in. Companies, which have never felt the need to have a person specifically to keep its marketing efforts fresh and in front of customers' minds, have suddenly realized such a person's importance. For those who are looking to hire a marketing representative, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Experience - Your candidate should have past experience with other companies, in successful marketing efforts that increased their revenue and/or their exposure.
  
  
  
  
• The candidate should have an understanding of why some ideas are appropriate with one company, but might not hit its mark with another. Paperweights might be in poor taste where the goal is to convince companies to go paperless via electronic advances.
  
  
• You'll want a candidate who understands all aspects of marketing: advertising, public relations, promotions, job fairs, and others as appropriate.
  
  
• You'll want a mature candidate who has an understanding of the necessity of budget constraints and who can bring the most bang for your marketing buck.
  
  
• You'll want a freethinker; one who can take an idea and shape it into a successful campaign.
  
  
• Marketing employees should know the difference between passive and assertive. The last thing a company owner wants is to fill a position and then hold the candidate's hand. Ideally, an employee should take two or three excellent ideas, shape them into plans, and then present them to the department heads for approval and/or input.

But what if you're just looking to update your current marketing plan? How do you keep the expenses reasonable while overhauling the "tried and true" method so that it hits its mark? The first idea that usually presents itself is a revised advertising campaign. If you've typically run small block ads in a local newspaper, consider running a larger ad for a few weeks. Update your company's message. If you've settled for the typical "Come and see us today", consider adding an incentive: "Stop by the month of August and register for a $500 fuel card." This is beneficial in a couple of ways. By having customers register with their names and addresses for giveaways, you've increased your mailing list (more on this later) and you've just increased traffic through your front door. Once they're in there, make it worth their while. If you're in the landscaping business, offer discount mulching, if you're in the floral business, offer free delivery. The goal is to get the customers in, build your customer base, and increase repeat business.

Once you've accumulated the names and addresses, via your drawing, now's the time to consider a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter. This is an excellent resource for keeping your company's name, logo and slogan in front and center. Any marketing representative worth his salt can compile an incredible newsletter, complete with graphics, photographs, and purposeful layouts. A newsletter is a cost-efficient way to bring new and repeat businesses through your doors.

Is your company big enough to sustain the costs associated with participation in tradeshows? If so, a few carefully chosen tradeshows throughout the year can bring the business in through avenues your company may have never otherwise considered. Be sure to calculate costs associated with promo giveaways into this budget. Golf balls, ink pens, baseball caps, bar-be-que sets are all great ideas that can display your company logo long after the tradeshow's conclusion. Remember too, the greater the number of giveaways you order, the bigger the savings. Buying such items in bulk is always a good idea since there will be numerous opportunities to hand out these items. If you've chosen ink pens, leave one on the counter at the bank, if you are sponsoring a health fair or any other community activity, be sure to provide your representative with enough items to make it worth your while. The goal is to ensure your company's recognition power to remain loud and in the forefront.

Another critical area with marketing is that of public relations. Many smaller companies feel no need for a full time PR representative; however, there are times when press releases might be necessary. Consider how you receive news during widespread inclement weather such as hurricanes. Most people stay close to any media avenue they have access to. This is where information is garnered regarding local news. A solid press release keeps employees and customers informed of the company status. Anytime large contracts are awarded, companies release media statements as well. Also when a company finds itself in a less than noble position, a PR person is needed to put it into its proper perspective. It’s vital for the future of your company.