Marketing - Organize in 5 Steps

From Heather Demis of Anchor Marketing
guest on the show 9/16/08

Step 1 - Decide your exposure needs; If you have a sales force then you'll need a l lot of collateral, giveaways, apparel, etc.
If your business doesn't entertain clients, if you don't visit clients or pitch against other companies, then you have less pressure to promote your image.

Step 2 - Take a look at your corporate image - do you need a face-lift? A complete overhaul? Or, are you looking pretty good next to your competition?
If you are not loving the look and feel of your business; if your brand is not effectively speaking for you, then you need to get it right.

Step 3 - Budget/Plan - A logo is essential to your brand identity, it will be a one-time investment, if it is done right, plan to spend $500-$1500. Once you have that, then you can take babysteps and build your campaign on your terms, as needed. When it comes to promotional items and gifts, think in terms of the recipient, how much are they worth? There are minimums, so you need to decide your unit cost on the item and how many you will need.

Step 4 - Have all formats of your logo ready to go for whatever need may arise. You'll need a dst file for embroidery, Black/White version, one color versions depending on background applications, etc. It is very important to be consistent with your marketing efforts, color pallettes, fonts and imagery all have to tell the same story. This builds trust with your buyers that they can depend on your service/product time after time.

Step 5 - Don't wait until the last minute when you have marketing needs. Make sure the basic rules are "written" so that you don't waste time making changes under a deadline situation. Have a basic plan ready for holiday gifts/cards, New Year promotions, direct mail, trade show appearances, sponsorships and donations. You will have more choices, save on rush charges, shipping charges and you'll get just what you want!