Marketing for Good

When you retain a marketing communications firm to help present your business to the public, you’re forming an important strategic alliance. How much you get in return will depend on how much you put into the relationship.

Making the most of the services and expertise your public relations agency offers isn’t difficult, but you have to put forth the effort from the beginning. When you do, you’ll build a productive and successful partnership that should produce positive press and, eventually, increased revenue. There are three main ways to increase your chances of creating a successful and productive partnership with a MarComm agency.
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As you enter this economic downturn, where will you begin to trim business expenses to stay competitive?  As a business leader, it is your responsibility to take a long, hard look at your budget and prepare for cutbacks.

Historically, advertising and marketing are some of the first line items to hit the chopping block.  The typical thinking around this choice is something like, “We’ve got a great product, and most of our business comes through word of mouth, and it is so hard to measure the return on our marketing, so let’s just cut that out for now.”

While cutbacks may be necessary, let’s consider why deep cuts in your marketing may be a short-term gain that you may regret in the long-term.  The rest of this position paper will illustrate why marketing in a downturn can be a significant advantage.
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As the field of corporate social responsibility matures, there are some noticeable cracks beginning to appear. There are those organizations that have spent a lot of time “talking” about the good that they do, but have little to show. Additionally, there are those corporations whose involvement and commitment to their cause of choice ends after a check is written and they are recognized for their charity.

Most of us are familiar with the “sniff” test. In order to check if something has gone sour, such as day-old meat, milk or dirty laundry, a quick “sniff” will help us make a determination. I believe that today’s customers are savvy and are always conducting this type of test with those companies with whom they do business. They subconsciously ask…
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Most businesses are not sure how they can do well, by doing good. For instance, how does one decide between a vast, endless sea of non-profit causes clamoring for support? Additionally, how can business benefit financially from giving? Chad Crouch, a local cause marketing leader, will be presenting “Pro Bono Work Meets Business Integrity” at the national conference Mind Your Own Business Conference on September 25th.
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Paul “Bear” Bryant, the famous college coach is quoted as saying, “It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” In other words, the desire for a specific outcome does not guarantee success.

Have you ever felt this way about your marketing efforts? Do you know what your customer needs to hear before you pull the trigger on your marketing campaigns? Does “Ready, Fire, Aim!” accurately describe your planning process?
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How to invest in the work you love without sacrificing business integrity.

There are a lot of differing opinions on what pro bono means. If you read the Online Etymology Dictionary, this term is short for pro bono publico “for the public good.” However, over the past several years, this term has been commonly accepted as meaning “for free.”

For a business owner, the term pro bono it is often introduced when a well meaning, but financially disadvantaged, non-profit asks you to give your product or service at no cost.
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When should you think about your marketing? Here are 8 REASONS to review your marketing now.

1. You want profitable and sustainable growth
2. You desire a better brand image
3. You’re announcing new services or products
4. You have a distinct competitive advantage - or wish you did
5. A handful of constituents or customers control your organization
6. You need to attract and keep top employees
7. Your products/offerings surpass your current customer’s perception
8. The right people will value your offering and get involved financially

I have developed a Marketing Scorecard to help you test your marketing. It helps you decide what’s working, what’s not working and where you need to pay the most attention to improve your marketing.

Score yourself from 0 to 5 with 5 being
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I try to read a lot of business books and articles, and I listen to a lot of books on CD. Sometimes I am inspired by an entire book and a revolutionary concept it may propose. Other times, I take a single idea from a book that I can fold into my daily life.

I have attempted to bring some of these new ideas from my reading and share it with my team. On more than one occasion I have been met with bewildered and slightly concerned looks that seem to say…
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What drives us? What makes us tick? Everyone within the design industry from art directors, to developers, to artists, and even project managers can be considered creatives. So there is no wonder we sometimes have our creative differences.
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