Q. What can a marketing firm do for my company?

They can significantly help with your company’s branding, by making it undeniable clear what you do, what problems you solve, and how your company can help solve specific problems. They can also improve your image, so that you look professional and polished. It’s also helpful to have an outside perspective from someone who isn’t involved in the day-to-day goings-on of the business. Another reason is time management – many owners take on the job of Marketing Director – and it’s time consuming! And confusing! We take this heavy load off their shoulders – the budgeting, choosing the right marketing tools, creative concepts, strategic planning – so that they can back to doing what they do best – servicing their clients.

Q. What mistakes do you see a lot?

They’re impulsive. They need new business, so they run an ad with the first salesperson who calls them. They don’t plan out their marketing. Another thing is that they don’t give their marketing or advertising enough time. They stop before it starts to work. Or they run an ad once (yes once!) in a magazine and claim that magazines don’t work. Or they mailed out 300 postcards one time (yes, once!) and have now decided that postcards don’t work either. Or they hand off their social media marketing to their son’s friend just out of college – and decide that online marketing doesn’t work either. See the pattern?

Q. What’s the one thing that a marketing firm can offer that a business can’t get on their own?

A. An outside perspective. A business owner is usually surrounded by people who are also experts in their specific industry. So there’s no one around them who can be objective and see things through the eyes of the customer. When we visit with a new customer, it’s as an outsider with no preconceived ideas. We tell it like we see it – most likely, it’s how others see your company too.

Q. Anything else?

Yes, with that same outside perspective, we can discover what makes you unique. We can see more clearly than you what makes you stand out from your competitors. We’ve met many companies who really shine, and are doing some outstanding things, but they fail to promote themselves. So instead, it’s left to the customer to discover them. Sadly, that means lots of missed opportunities.

Q. What can a professional designer do that I can’t?

A. First, the technical reason – a professional designer uses design software that is specifically created to design marketing collateral, from brochures and postcards, to websites and billboards. For example, the program we use to create brochures is the same one that Time Magazine uses to create the layout of their magazine each week. Unlike Publisher or Word, there are no limitations – whatever we can come up with in our minds, we can create. We also understand the way print and web work – we know what colors work well in print or web, as well as the meaning that colors convey to the customer. See portfolio.

Q. Give me an example of a successful marketing campaign.

A. We did a campaign for a company that sold promotional products. There are lots of companies doing the same thing, selling the identical products as our client, so it was important to find out what made her unique. We decided we needed market research, so we did a survey that interviewed her customers – and discovered that what people liked best about our client…was her! They liked her bubbly personality and the ideas she came up with to help them. So our creative concept was all about the owner – she had a big personality, so we did a photo shoot portraying her promotional products as “larger than life” – we photographed her leaning up against a giant pen, or sitting underneath a humungous flashlight. The headline read, “Sometimes bigger is better.” And we talked about how big ideas make a big impression. This brochure was mailed out to her select target audience multiple times, along with a letter and a small gift. The mailing was followed up with phone calls. The results? She got the city of Delaware and the Philadelphia 76ers as clients, as well as many others. Why did this work? Frequency, creativity, follow up and research. Read the case study.

Q. How are your services priced?

A. Services are offered either on an hourly basis or flat rate for a bundle of services. If we don’t have an hourly, bulk or retainer option that meets your needs and budget, we will create one for you.