I know not everyone understands Easter grass. A brief explanation: every year at Easter the Bunny would bring my siblings and I a basket full of candy and little chochkies. Lining that basket of pure goodness was this shredded green plastic that was thin and durable, Easter Grass. You can still find this product in stores today. The Easter Bunny must shop at all the local stores to purchase this stuff. Anyway, this shredded green plastic would end up everywhere! Months later you would still find pieces in and under the couch, stuck to your coats and still sitting in the basket waiting to escape.
As marketers it is our goal to create marketing materials that live on just like Easter Grass. Months after we deliver it to the world we want pieces of it popping up. One of my personal favorite ways to do this, chochkies!
Oh yes, that fun little keep sake with the product and/or company logo emblazoned on the front! Chochkies are prominent in my home and I am sure for many people they are. I have refrigerator magnets, coffee cups, t-shirts, coasters and bags that I use and other people see. They are constant reminders of the product that either I have marketed to someone or some has marketed to me.
I love chochkies and think they can be a big part of any marketing campaign! Done right they can be part of a marketing message that lives long past the print ad, direct mail, e-message and broadcast commercial. They hang around for a very long time and are a reminder of your brand and your brand message. It’s Easter grass done right!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Marketing Professional
Yesterday I talked a little about being laid off. Today, I am taking my future into my own hands and posting a shameless plug! This is all about me! I know most marketing professionals post articles about marketing with tips and tricks to gain awareness and increase sales leads for others. Instead, my goal for this blog is to market myself. The purpose is to demonstrate that I am a skilled and motivated marketing professional who is looking for a position with a (stable) company where I can impact the bottom line in a lucrative way!
A brief summary for you:
During my 9+ year career in marketing I have been responsible for:
New product launches
Brand development and messaging
Marketing plan development, implementation
Lead generation
Internet marketing (SEO/SEM)
Consumer profiling
Competition analysis
Budget development, reconciliation and cost per lead/ROI analysis
Copywriting of collateral, web copy, advertorials, broadcast scripts
Production management including press checks
Directing TV and radio production and editing
Event planning, implementation, onsite coordination and measurement
Team and vendor management
Media planning, buying and negotiating (Print, Outdoor, Radio, TV)
The majority of my experience is in the real estate industry. I spent a couple years with an agency and a couple with Centex Homes. Then I started my own agency Marketing Partners. I talked about that a bit yesterday. Possibly my new employer will be a large developer/builder looking for the perfect marketing professional who can "do it all". You can see some of the projects I worked on with Hugh Roper. I recommend him highly for all design needs including websites! Together we worked on a condominium conversion project where we designed everything. The photography of the property used in the brochure was taken by me. Another project we worked on together was a new development in Utah. This client was building homesites in a small town called Toquerville. Hugh and I worked on other projects but with this two big clients, I think there is enough to show my experience.
Breaking into new industries is very difficult. I know this first hand because this past year I was working for a medical device advertising agency. The marketing is very similar to real estate but the knowledge needed about not only the products but what they are used for is critical. I studied and learned all about cardiac arrhythmias, specifically cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation, and stem cell technologies as they relate to cryopreservation and point of care treatments. One of the most interesting technologies was the spinal cord stimulation field. That is an amazing technology where you can implant leads into the spinal column that deliver an electrical impulse to block pain.
I took the lead on the social media efforts by registering the agency on Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, started writing a blog on web 2.0 technologies and the FDA (not yet posted) and developing the communications plan for generating new leads utilizing the Internet and web 2.0 technologies.
One of my most challenging positions was with an agency in Las Vegas where I worked on the Cox Communications account. It wasn't challenging because of the products, but that we sent out a new promotion every month. That included TV, radio, print and direct mail. And not just one concept but two. The customer profiles are different for subscribers and non-subscribers and so were the campaigns. I think it was then when I was not only moving all projects through the agency but also tracking all the billing where I really honed my organization skills. I had learned a great deal about organization from my mentor Linda Kaplan at my first job at The Identity Group.
This should cover most of my experience with some work samples. My resume is on my LinkedIn profile along with recommendations for each marketing position I have held.
No matter what industry I have learned and adapted quickly to make immediate impact! If you are looking to hire a marketing professional that can handle all aspects of your business, contact me. I'm not going to accept a position I am not qualified for so it's best we talk in detail about what your needs are and how I can help.
You can post a comment here, connect via LinkedIn, or email me at lucindaborges@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
A brief summary for you:
During my 9+ year career in marketing I have been responsible for:
New product launches
Brand development and messaging
Marketing plan development, implementation
Lead generation
Internet marketing (SEO/SEM)
Consumer profiling
Competition analysis
Budget development, reconciliation and cost per lead/ROI analysis
Copywriting of collateral, web copy, advertorials, broadcast scripts
Production management including press checks
Directing TV and radio production and editing
Event planning, implementation, onsite coordination and measurement
Team and vendor management
Media planning, buying and negotiating (Print, Outdoor, Radio, TV)
The majority of my experience is in the real estate industry. I spent a couple years with an agency and a couple with Centex Homes. Then I started my own agency Marketing Partners. I talked about that a bit yesterday. Possibly my new employer will be a large developer/builder looking for the perfect marketing professional who can "do it all". You can see some of the projects I worked on with Hugh Roper. I recommend him highly for all design needs including websites! Together we worked on a condominium conversion project where we designed everything. The photography of the property used in the brochure was taken by me. Another project we worked on together was a new development in Utah. This client was building homesites in a small town called Toquerville. Hugh and I worked on other projects but with this two big clients, I think there is enough to show my experience.
Breaking into new industries is very difficult. I know this first hand because this past year I was working for a medical device advertising agency. The marketing is very similar to real estate but the knowledge needed about not only the products but what they are used for is critical. I studied and learned all about cardiac arrhythmias, specifically cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation, and stem cell technologies as they relate to cryopreservation and point of care treatments. One of the most interesting technologies was the spinal cord stimulation field. That is an amazing technology where you can implant leads into the spinal column that deliver an electrical impulse to block pain.
I took the lead on the social media efforts by registering the agency on Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, started writing a blog on web 2.0 technologies and the FDA (not yet posted) and developing the communications plan for generating new leads utilizing the Internet and web 2.0 technologies.
One of my most challenging positions was with an agency in Las Vegas where I worked on the Cox Communications account. It wasn't challenging because of the products, but that we sent out a new promotion every month. That included TV, radio, print and direct mail. And not just one concept but two. The customer profiles are different for subscribers and non-subscribers and so were the campaigns. I think it was then when I was not only moving all projects through the agency but also tracking all the billing where I really honed my organization skills. I had learned a great deal about organization from my mentor Linda Kaplan at my first job at The Identity Group.
This should cover most of my experience with some work samples. My resume is on my LinkedIn profile along with recommendations for each marketing position I have held.
No matter what industry I have learned and adapted quickly to make immediate impact! If you are looking to hire a marketing professional that can handle all aspects of your business, contact me. I'm not going to accept a position I am not qualified for so it's best we talk in detail about what your needs are and how I can help.
You can post a comment here, connect via LinkedIn, or email me at lucindaborges@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Measurements
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, and the problem is I don't know which half”
- Lord Leverhulme (British founder of Unilever)
Using unique URLs, targeted phone numbers and when possible foot traffic numbers, there is no reason to not know what tactics are working and which are not. That includes offline and online media!
- Lord Leverhulme (British founder of Unilever)
Using unique URLs, targeted phone numbers and when possible foot traffic numbers, there is no reason to not know what tactics are working and which are not. That includes offline and online media!
Media Mix
Media Mix, a definition:
The specific combination of various advertising media (including network television, local television, magazines, newspapers, specialty advertising, etc.) used by a particular advertiser and the advertising budget to be allocated to each medium. (American Marketing Association)
A media mix is used in order to reach prospectives through multiple media channels. It is believed that you must tell one prospective the same message 3 times before they even hear you. If you can reach that prospective using the media mix at least 3 times and then repeat your message to them until they act, that is an effective plan.
For marketers this is Marketing 101 but for many of our clients, it’s Greek. It is important for all marketers to explain to their clients the importance of the media mix and how it will impact all of their efforts. Without the right mix, we can fail in our efforts to drive prospectives (buyers, customers, clients, etc.) to our clients to maximize their profits. That is what marketing is about, building our clients business and in turn building our own.
When choosing the media mix for clients the starting point is knowing who our prospective are. There are multiple profile systems to differentiate clients into particular buyer groups/profiles by age, income, marital status, home ownership and many other categories. Depending on the product being offered, the status of these categories will vary.
Once we know who our prospectives are we then need to identify where they live, what medias they use to make decisions, and what is the unique selling proposition for the product. These things will determine how best to move forward in choosing what media to buy and how much of the budget should be allocated to each.
The budget is always a difficult subject to discuss with clients. They want to know how much to spend and we want to know what they have to spend. There are industry standards but we all know that those standards do not always apply when our clients just don’t have money. The catch-22 for all business is in order to sell your product or service, your prospectives have to know you are there. Marketing and advertising is how you reach those prospectives and without it, you are doomed for failure. If you don’t have buyers and you are not making money, you can’t afford marketing/advertising. It is a cycle that we are all faced with. The key for our clients is to work closely with them in determining what they can afford and how best to use that money to bring in propsectives and end the catch-22 cycle.
The media mix can be more difficult when extremely small budgets are involved. There may be times when grass roots marketing is the best start to generate cash flow. From there discussions with the client about available money need to be had.
In planning a media mix it is important to note that not all mediums have to be used. Maybe the clients budget doesn’t allow for broadcast or print which can be the most costly of all medias. In that case a delicate balance of Internet, direct mail and various grass roots tactics can be utilized. The key is making sure that each media used expresses the same message to the same targets and is within the clients budget.
The specific combination of various advertising media (including network television, local television, magazines, newspapers, specialty advertising, etc.) used by a particular advertiser and the advertising budget to be allocated to each medium. (American Marketing Association)
A media mix is used in order to reach prospectives through multiple media channels. It is believed that you must tell one prospective the same message 3 times before they even hear you. If you can reach that prospective using the media mix at least 3 times and then repeat your message to them until they act, that is an effective plan.
For marketers this is Marketing 101 but for many of our clients, it’s Greek. It is important for all marketers to explain to their clients the importance of the media mix and how it will impact all of their efforts. Without the right mix, we can fail in our efforts to drive prospectives (buyers, customers, clients, etc.) to our clients to maximize their profits. That is what marketing is about, building our clients business and in turn building our own.
When choosing the media mix for clients the starting point is knowing who our prospective are. There are multiple profile systems to differentiate clients into particular buyer groups/profiles by age, income, marital status, home ownership and many other categories. Depending on the product being offered, the status of these categories will vary.
Once we know who our prospectives are we then need to identify where they live, what medias they use to make decisions, and what is the unique selling proposition for the product. These things will determine how best to move forward in choosing what media to buy and how much of the budget should be allocated to each.
The budget is always a difficult subject to discuss with clients. They want to know how much to spend and we want to know what they have to spend. There are industry standards but we all know that those standards do not always apply when our clients just don’t have money. The catch-22 for all business is in order to sell your product or service, your prospectives have to know you are there. Marketing and advertising is how you reach those prospectives and without it, you are doomed for failure. If you don’t have buyers and you are not making money, you can’t afford marketing/advertising. It is a cycle that we are all faced with. The key for our clients is to work closely with them in determining what they can afford and how best to use that money to bring in propsectives and end the catch-22 cycle.
The media mix can be more difficult when extremely small budgets are involved. There may be times when grass roots marketing is the best start to generate cash flow. From there discussions with the client about available money need to be had.
In planning a media mix it is important to note that not all mediums have to be used. Maybe the clients budget doesn’t allow for broadcast or print which can be the most costly of all medias. In that case a delicate balance of Internet, direct mail and various grass roots tactics can be utilized. The key is making sure that each media used expresses the same message to the same targets and is within the clients budget.
Condo Conversion Marketing
As a new condominium conversion, the developers of Eleven11 needed everything from naming and identity, to full marketing campaigns including media buying, design and production, to sales office design and installation as well as event planning and coordination. Lucinda DeVries worked directly with the developer, interior decorator and sales team to create a hip, young identity for the community and drive over 1,000 leads to the sales office in the first 5 months.
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