AJRoss Blog

Build off of perception:

Don’t believe everything you hear in the media about the economy. While it is true that in the last two years, we’ve suffered a significant economic decline, you can’t wait for news broadcast saying “the worst is over” before your company invests in marketing again. The world is a more cautious and thrifty place now and it will take time and more companies to take that step forward before consumers will start to believe in the recovery. But again this presents a “good opportunity.” Let your company be one of those that consumers have been waiting for. Show them that in the face of what is still perceived as a down economy, you are strong and so are you services. Instill confidence now in the face of your competition and shape a clientele that will be with you through thick and thin.

The economy is recovering all around you, car sales are improving, homes are starting to sell and banks are able to allow for individual/business investments again. If your company doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of it now, the only down economy in the near future will be yours.

According to an article in About.com:

“McGraw-Hill Research conducted a study of U.S. recessions from 1980-1985. Out of the 600 business-to-business companies analyzed, the ones who continued to advertise during the 1981-1982 recession hit a 256-percent growth by 1985 over their competitors that eliminated or decreased spending.”

“Similar findings were shown for the economic downturn of the mid 1970s. These studies reaffirm the notion that in good times and bad, it pays to advertise”.

“Customers will identify with and remember those companies who stuck it out during a tough economy”.

One major opportunity now exists in today’s economy, but only the savviest of entrepreneurs will seize upon it. The opportunity right now is for a business to be leader of the pack, a standard bearer who clearly tells consumers that the economic recovery is at hand. I must caution you that this opportunity will not last very long and in fact, while some business owners are still waiting for confirmation of a recovery, others are already getting a jump on their competition. It’s still not too late! No matter what the state of the economy, there is never a bad time to seize opportunities and build your brand; but it’s always the wrong time to stop.

AJ Ross Creative Media celebrating its 20^th year in business, is located in the Hudson Valley’s historic Chester, NY and was founded by Allan Ross. A former NYC session musician, jingle writer and producer, Ross parlayed that experience into the development of a full-service strategic marketing agency. AJ Ross offers brand development, print, radio, and TV advertising production, graphic design, website development, and public relations. Some of AJ Ross’s accounts include Orange County Tourism, Hudson Heritage Federal Credit Union, Finkelstein and Partners, Jacoby and Meyers amongst others. To learn more about AJ Ross Creative Media, visit www.ajross.com, call 800-723-4644, or email info@ajross.com.

No matter what business you’re in, it’s always about expectations, isn’t it? It’s about meeting expectations or exceeding them. There are no other options.

If you play things by the book, meeting expectations isn’t really that difficult.

Exceeding expectations is another matter entirely and it’s never easy. Because this is where hard work, dedication, and a passion for doing things better become paramount. This is where people who only make promises are separated from the people who actually fulfill them and then surpass them.

At A.J. Ross Creative a full-service Advertising, Marketing and Web Design Company, has been in business for nearly 20 years. And in this “here today and gone tomorrow” world nobody lasts that long by merely meeting expectations.

So, what are your expectations? In terms of creative work and service, what is it you really want? This could be a very productive exchange. And while we’re learning what you expect and want, we’d like you to see how we’ve taken many clients to places they never expected to go.

Who Is AJ Ross Creative Media?

AJ Ross Creative Media opened its doors in 1991 and that’s exactly how you’ll still find them today: open. Open to new ideas, open to new ways to reach people, new technologies, open to all the things that can help our clients be more successful.

Of course, you can’t do anything without the right people, and we’ve been very fortunate to work with many of the best people in the communications industry. Our real and “virtual” staff includes writers and art directors who’ve occupied positions of leadership in such major agencies as Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey Advertising, and Young & Rubicam.

When we combine our veterans with our young and dedicated staff members, we can put together teams that are current, experienced, energetic, and successful—qualities that we are certain generate the results that exceed your expectations.

A.J. Ross Creative Media, a full-service Advertising, Marketing and Web Design company located in Chester, NY. Some of AJ Ross’s accounts include Orange County Tourism, Hudson Heritage Federal Credit Union, Finkelstein and Partners, Jacoby and Meyers amongst others. For more information go to http://www.ajross.com or call 845-783-5770 783-5770.

When we talk about building brands today, we have plenty of history to reference. From the members of the century club led by Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble to the relative youngsters like Microsoft, each successful brand story provides us with a richness of learning we would be foolish to ignore.

Imagine if the founders of Arm & Hammer nearly 150 years ago had the knowledge of advertising, marketing, merchandising and public relations we have now. Talk about an unfair advantage!

So why is it that despite everything we know, regardless of all the history we can call upon for advice and guidance, creating and introducing a new brand remains the single most difficult thing to do in modern business. In fact, only out of every 1,000 brands that come to the marketplace in 2009 will still be around in 2010.

They say knowledge is power. That’s true, unless, of course, you’re attempting to bring down an established brand. We are speaking of those brands customers depend on as if they were old friends. These are the brands with a personality. Successful brands that forge a bond with customers so strong, the power of knowledge alone cannot break it.

Needless to say, if you have a brand that’s 5 years old, 50 years old, or 500 years old, and you have customers who know it and rely on it, who pay to use it and will recommend it to others, it would be best to keep an eye on it. Please, never take it for granted. It is the most important business asset you will ever own. Consider this: in the R.J. Reynolds buy out back the 80’s, the brand name “Oreo,” just those four letters, was calculated as being worth five times more than the capitalized value of all the bakeries that produced the cookies.

So how do you hang on to this invaluable asset? How do you protect it? How do you build on a brand and make it an even more frequent choice? Well, it would be a good idea to have people around you who understand it’s value, conscientious, dedicated people, relentless in their pursuit of success. These people, in simpler times, were often called “brand champions.” Today, we have another name for them: brand stewards, or more specifically, 360 degree Brand Stewards. This is an idea that, literally and figuratively, looks at the concept of brand management from every possible perspective. The Stewardship process begins with careful analysis to define precisely what makes your brand different – what it stands for now, its customer appeal, it’s personality, and potential. Then, with this data in hand, you can move on to identifying new opportunities, possible threats and effective responses as well as business building ideas that encompass every touch point with customers, the full 360. Wherever the brand meets the customer, at the point of sale or in the media, a Brand Steward will be there to help you the deliver the right message.

Sometimes, your brand may need totally new creative work that enriches its image, or gives it a bold new look. Other times, the solution may require staying the course but with a new twist. In either case, the right result will require people working together, all on the same page, with clear goals and objectives; stewards who never take their eye off the brand.

Knowledge. History, Learning. Experience and Stewardship. They are very powerful tools indeed, and today you can never have enough of them. Visit A.J. Ross Creative Media at www.ajross.com for more thoughts and examples that will get you thinking and, hopefully, working to protect the brand that keeps you in business.

2009 was a year of budget creativity! With the economy in crisis and jobs on the line, clients felt the pressure to gain more results from advertising than in the past. BUT, this had to be done with smaller budgets. The result was more one-piece advertising and fewer campaigns to drive multiple messages, as well as relying on one medium (vs. several) and smaller size advertising, thereby generating space for their competition.

Although this created complications in branding business pressure, in this instance it also strengthened the working relationship between the agency and client. For clients, it instilled the need to be more focused in working with their advertising agencies. It also made those who never worked with agencies recognize the need for advertising for their business this year.

We have seen two completely different reactions among our clients: half are financially focused and the other half has taken the competitive edge in the marketplace while their competition is laying low.

The financially focused clientele have decreased their media placement and increased their online presence by creating new websites as well as using banner advertising, email marketing, social media, and blogging. This direction allows for stronger branding and an increased message through various vehicles without the limitations printing costs or media placement taken from budgets.

Among the other half of our clientele, we’re seeing the trend of redirecting finances from other areas of the business and focusing it on advertising. They are taking advantage of the lack of competition in the media market place. They increase their media budgets and create several timed campaigns that span a few months and send the same messages through print, radio, online advertising, and social media. This strategy not only takes advantage of the lack of competition in front of consumers but also establishes a stronger placement in the market for those companies in a better market in the future.

For those clients with financial concerns, email marketing is the new direct mail; websites and banner advertising are the new print campaigns; social media is the new networking; telemarketing and blogging are the new PR. Print advertising is, well, still print advertising!

I hear the groans already… I hate networking. I’m uncomfortable talking with strangers. Well guess what, networking is probably one of the best ways to grow your business. The heart of any business is the connection it has with other businesses and individuals that it can call upon to help meet its needs. Networking enables businesses that do not compete with each other to refer, share leads and find creative ways to partner. Networking events help you advance professionally.

No matter what type of business you have, it is all about relationships and how people perceive your talents. Your fellow business people are a vast resource. Focus on the quality, not quantity, of your connections at networking events. You’ll get better results by making a few good connections then by handing out dozens of business cards indiscriminately.

Most networking veterans agree that it’s hard to beat a face-to-face meeting to make the best contacts. The best lead generator is a handshake — the human touch.

Networking may sometimes seem insincere pretentious or even manipulative. There are always going to be people that judge someone by their position or image but there are many people who really want to build a true and mutually beneficial relationship.

You might consider yourself shy or self-conscious to go out and meet people. Networking does require a degree of boldness. The more you do it the easier it becomes and you will enjoy the adventure. The key is to smile and take interest in other people’s interest. Listen to what they have to say. Listen and learn.

Some pointers about networking:

Go with a goal. Have a firm reason to be at the event and know what you want out of it. Are you looking to acquire new prospects, meet colleagues for possible collaborations, and create name recognition for you and your business.

When someone asks you what you do make sure you can communicate not only your business, but also its benefits, in a clear, concise manner in 15 seconds or less. Is your message crisp and to the point? Is it compelling? This is not the time to give a dull, dry description. This is the time knock people’s socks off and rally make your company shine

Leave the resumes and sales pitches at home. Networking is networking. Sales is sales. These are social events. If you are there to sell yourself, most likely you will fail. Nobody wants to be sold when the environment doesn’t call for it. Be genuine and sincere.

Remember networking is a good thing. It’s about building relationships. As easy as networking sounds—and it really is pretty straightforward—it takes time build and it takes time to be good at it but it’s worth the time and energy. It will help build your client base and you might even find some new friends.

In today’s ever increasing and fast-paced business world, the methods used to market have hit a time of growing pains. Marketing is moving in a direction that requires less people and more technology. For some people this is second nature, some are learning as they go, and others are having a hard time leaving the old ways of doing business behind. There is a technical term for this growing pain; it’s called “Social Media.”

To better understand why social media is so important, we have to look at what it does for business in 2009 and beyond.

If you’ve ever wondered what Social Media is, it’s simple. It is a collection of various sites on the Internet with the purpose of keeping people connected on a global scale.  It quickly became a tool for business networking because of its ability to reach a mass audience without the need for travel or attend every social event possible.

What are some of the most popular Social Media networks out there at the moment?

• Facebook - (definition)
• Myspace – (definition)
• Twitter - (definition)
• Linked In - (definition)
• Blogs (Blogspot, Wordpress)

Social Media and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Everyone that has a website understands that people don’t come to you; you need to reach out to the people when they search for a word or phrase that relates to your business on a search engine like Google. By using Social Media, it offers benefits to your SEO efforts which in turn puts your business in front of more people interested in your services and/or product(s).

Link building:

The more websites your company’s name appears on, the higher you’ll rank on Search Engines such as Google. Search Engines see your name appearing repeatedly and recognize your company as being legitimate as well as an important source for users to know.

Fresh Content:

Search Engines rate your website based on new content. As content on sites such as your blog increase, it creates more keywords; more keywords lead to more opportunities for your business to be found online. Fresh content also offers users a benefit to coming back to your website.

Social Media and Networking

While nothing can ever replace the value of face to face networking, Social Media allows you to reach more people than your business’s geographic location allows. Email and the Internet already changed business by allowing people to work on the same projects overseas; now it’s doing the same with business networking and consumer marketing.

Establish new business contacts or update existing ones all simultaneously from your phone. Promote your business or get answers to questions from real professionals while you work instead of some support line. Test new ideas and get real reactions, not statistics. Build credibility as an expert by answering questions and posting beneficial blogs or advice. Someone is more likely to do business with you if you’ve already given them helpful advice or written consistent blogs on topics that are helpful than cold calling or simply meeting someone and telling them about your services.

Social Media isn’t a tool that will bring overnight success.  It takes time to build up a network of people to be social with, but once you start you’ll find if they are part of one of your social networks, they’ll join the others. Every social contact offers the possibility of all of their contacts becoming one of yours and the cycle continues with every new contact you make.

Social media is a basic tool; it’s how you apply it to your business that is limitless. Look at it as a window into how you do business and how your knowledge can really benefit those looking to do business with you. Let the world see what you really have to offer and they’ll add you as a friend, re-tweet you, post your blogs, ask questions, thank you for your advice, and become followers.

Business is about relationships; now you have the chance to build them anywhere in the world from your desk and from that, with time, face-to-face. 

By Allan J. Ross

The instantaneous Internet has an undeniable appeal for consumers; most business owners are aware of, and take advantage of, this still-new stream of data flow to offer up their wares in the new media. Cyberspace is big, and getting bigger, byte on top of megabyte.

Information offered via quality, uncluttered print — postcards, brochures, fliers, fact sheets and the ever-useful business card — is a restful, organized and often unexpected way to reach out and stand above the rest in a world of high-tech.

Print information is carefully selected and presented to your customer clearly and strategically.

Smart business owners know to blend new media with the proven: nothing beats being handed or sent something personal and tangible. Quality is felt in the hand, and stays on the desk.

Smart marketing doesn’t confine business to a single medium. It gets and keeps customers, no matter where they look for you.

Collateral materials come in different forms, but they share a critical element: they should be effectively marketing your company. Every business needs printed material, so make everything work for you. Your business cards and even your stationery can, not just the printed pieces that are designed to sell.

A business with all its materials branded uniformly will shine above the rest in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Consider all the documents that are generated from your business: the stationery and letterhead used by your company, for instance. Is it dated? Is it designed professionally, or is it merely one of the out-of-the-box desktop publishing templates that are so easily recognizable by everyone?

Consider your sales fliers. Are they, too, victims of the desktop publishing revolution? Do they have the same professional quality as your own work does, or are they generated by someone in your office who is good at their own job, but who is, perhaps, not a professional designer?

How about your brochures? This critical piece, you may or may not know, is one of the leading sales tools available to business owners, and often can be the instrument that decides a customer. Brochure in hand, a potential customer can peruse your offerings, either in store or at home, and make the final decision on your product or service.

Brochures — designed correctly — can be easily customized by your business, too, and tailored per customer, making them even more effective. Do you have the tools to do that in-house? If not, consider the fiscal pros and cons of outsourcing this crucial sales tool, as well as the large potential savings designers can offer in quality printing costs.

You spend time, money and energy on your Web site — as well you should. The Internet is instant, and these are fast-paced times.

But in a fast-paced world, the business that wants to get — and to keep — the attention of customers will not forget the human, personal, tangible element. Information is everywhere. What a relief, what a pleasure, for your customers, to be able to absorb your information easily.

How many more customers will buy when instead of being “called to action,” they are “appealed to action”?

Allan J. Ross is president and CEO of A.J. Ross Creative Media, a full-service advertising, marketing and Web design company, in Chester. He can be reached at allan@ajross.com or 845-783-5770.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization)

In today’s Internet driven market, a common question asked is, “How do I drive traffic to my website?”

Many people will praise PPC saying that it offers you guaranteed presence on Google, but that is only half true. While Organic SEO is more competitive for a lot of terms, it boasts more staying power. Just like most things in business, doing both would be ideal; but for those that need to choose for resource and/or budget reasons, we will look at the pro’s and con’s or each.

PPC (Pay Per Click: for definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_per_click)

PPC offers users the benefit of reserved seating so to speak on Google pages called “Sponsored Link.”
PPC services come with fees you need to be prepared for. First, there is usually an account set-up fee. From there, you choose individual terms (e.g. “lawyer”) or phrases (e.g. “medical law, New York”) that you want to appear on search engine pages for when people type them in.

It’s a process that takes time, patience, and careful selection because let’s face it, who has the money to spend on limitless options, especially in today’s economy. Choosing the right terms/phrases is important. You don’t want to waste your time or money monitoring what people don’t search for when it can go to terms you would get more of a return on.

Once you’ve chosen your terms/phrases, you need to decide how much they are worth to you. This is where the bidding begins. Each term/phrase has a price associated with it and that price changes each time someone is willing to pay more for the Top 10 positions. Everyone wants to be seen in the # 1 spot but this is where you decide how much it’s really worth to you.

You then need to plan out your monthly budget. With billions of people online, your fees can become outrageous without a budget. Here’s an idea of how their budgets typically work.

Example
Monthly budget $100
Divided into daily average ( $100 Divided by 31 days =$3.22 a day)
Cost per “average”term/phrase .10- .25

.25 divided by daily budget ($3.22) = 12 terms or phrases clicked on a day.

What does this mean for you? It means that once your daily allowance has been clicked on, you no longer appear on the “Sponsored Links” section for the remainder of the day. For competitive terms, that means you typically won’t appear on sponsored links anytime after lunch. Without an unlimited budget, it’s a crapshoot as to when people will be able to find you.

As Google users spend more time using this search engine, they are typically reporting banner blindness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banner_blindness). This used to only apply to flashing banner ads on websites but it is now affecting Google users on sponsored links sections. This means when they use Google, their eyes don’t trust a lot of sponsored links due to them redirecting away from what they are searching for.

Organic SEO
Organic SEO is all about ranking on the unpaid sections of search engines. Unpaid and high rankings sound ideal and it is…if you know how to do it.

Organic is the best way to rank your website. Once you’re ranked, you don’t need to worry about budgets, you’re not limited to how many terms/phrases you can afford, and you’re visible away from users’blind spots. Your success is based solely on how hard you are willing to work and taking the time to understand the necessary methods to apply and monitor your rankings.

It takes a little more time but like all good things it’s worth the wait.

As SEO becomes a more popular method of advertising and promoting websites, search engines are occasionally changing the rules to keep it an honest game. Pay attention and weigh what you get in return for your time and money compared to your desired outcome and budget, whether it’s financial or time. With the right understanding of what you are getting into, you’ll find the right fit for your websites rankings.

When times are tough the first things businesses cut are their advertising and marketing budgets thinking they are saving money; what they’re really doing is cutting off their lifeline to profits in our current hard economy. If anything, advertising should be increased, and here are some of the reasons why:

The Competitive Advantage
Advertising during a bad economy clearly creates a competitive advantage by creating Brand Assurance. Brand Assurance establishes confidence in your demographic when you are consistently in the public eye. Most importantly, you’re at the top of buyers’ minds when purchase decisions are made. People don’t stay loyal to products or companies based on the memory of a strong campaign in rosier times. Memories are short and advertisements that bombard them today and every day are what will stick in their heads and make you a household name when they make a purchasing decision.

There are certain cost effective ways to market your company that you should pay strict attention to. Some of these include:

Website Content
Keep your website fresh and current. Your website has become one of your most important marketing tools. It’s the voice of your company 24 hours a day. It can offer customers your latest promotions or house an entire catalog of information.  It allows you to deliver countless amounts of new information without printing or mailing expenses. You have the potential to connect with millions of people. Now it’s up to you to hook them and keep them interested with new information.

Email Campaigns – The New Way to Send Direct Mail
One of the best ways to reach your existing clients and new prospects is by sending out email campaigns.   It could be an article, newsletter, or just new information of what‘s going on with your company. Your presentation of your email marketing campaign needs to be professional and well thought out. It might be a good idea to hire a professional like AJ Ross to design your initial template. As the old sayings go, “first impressions”and“you get what you pay for.”

You’ve established your brand, built and maintained a strong website, and sent out an email campaign …… so what’s next?

Can you be found on Google?
Another important factor in marketing your company is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to your website. When SEO is done properly, it will place you high on search engine result pages with certain key phrases and terms (i.e. real estate, law firms, doctor, etc.).  You should also hire a professional like AJRoss to help you with your SEO. With millions of people online daily, it is worth the investment.

The economy may be bad, but people are still spending money on products and services. Now is a great time to keep your market share and prove Brand Assurance particularly in these bad economic times. Consumers and companies alike will feel comfortable spending their money on the services your company provides. Make sure they know your name, increase their confidence in your staying power, and assure them you will be there tomorrow and in the years to come.

What is the right idea? That is the big question weighing on business owners everywhere. Where can I make cuts? What is going to see us through? But is surviving enough? Who is going to still be around and more importantly who is going to be on top of the game when we do see the economic light of day?

It’s no secret we are in and economic downturn, but that is no excuse to let your business fall with the economy.  The strongest business leaders know how to take a crisis and make it work in their favor.

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review earlier this year:
It is well documented that brands that increase (marketing) during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.

Your competition is moving itself out of our way by slowing/stopping their marketing efforts. Media is being forced to lower rates due to a large decrease in advertising revenue. And your consumers still need your services. It is that simple.

But…and there is always a but. You need to be smart about your marketing. The right message, the right placement and consistency with your brand are essential. Not just anyone can do that for you and this is not the time to do it yourself.

We understand the market and continue to have success with businesses that take advantage of our services. When the real estate market first fell and developers were sitting on empty lots we helped a client sell out of quality homes in record time. How? Well that is a conversation we reserve for our clients.

The right idea cannot only help your business survive but more importantly thrive. We are proven time and time again and ready to add you to our list of success stories.