AJRoss Blog

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.

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 2003 will still be around in 2004.
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 and your 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 it’s 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 there eyes 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 ajross.com for more thoughts and examples that will get you thinking and, hopefully, working to protect the brand that keeps you in business.

Human nature-counting on that ROI

The deeper our economy slumps, the more all size businesses that plan to stay around, will want to ramp up their exposure.The serious marketers with budgets will have ‘exposure’ advantage as they wisely invest their advertising dollars through these times…till the inevitable upswing returns.

The savvy types recognize
Investing in their brand with “Custom printed functional quality” items stretches and strengthens the brand recognition now, even more than in good times. (Ask yourself if you used a logo promo item used today?)

As business owners, marketers steeped in simple science, we hope for a cause and effect to our efforts; it is actually that domino effect with measurable rewards. No matter the venue- the sale, attendance at an event, a contribution to a charity, enrollment in a class, we all aim for Return on Our precious time, our psychic energy and emotional investment. (Ask yourself if you can recall the advertiser on your favorite promo item today?)

BRANDING can be as Memorable as the keepsake. A custom printed ‘gift’ doubles as a Reminder that soon penetrates the psyche, workspace, kitchen when Used handled and seen daily — it gets results. With prolonged exposure and experience with your brand – you can guess what can happen next. (Ask yourself if you have used the services from that promotional product you used today?)

SELLING is trackable – just ask your accountant. Invite your prospects repeatedly for a return dialogue, that test drive, that special offer, etc. The smart & serious avoids wasting time in this cycle. So, don’t start this advertising/marketing with out including a promotional product; And Don’t bother unless you are going to follow through from start to finish.

REPEAT EXPOSURE: Your promotional products will be hard at work repeating your message long after your personal encounter. (Ask yourself if you had to pick a promotional product for someone like yourself, what would you like to receive?)

The fun is crafting the plan, picking the item that fits budget, demographics and Distribution method – and tracking the action. Remember only those on the radar screen as ‘best prospects’ will see receive your promotional product

Promotional marketing items do not need to break your budget; their return is everlasting with the right product. Plus without waste, you can’t ask for a better medium.

PS This wildly popular industry has proven statistical results; if you are curious about how your answers compare to others or for the unconvinced or curious click www.ppai.org and find out how the mind recalls, remembers and how physical advertising effects behavior; Retention/ recalls studies are available.