CMA - Top Agency Winner at 2011 JASPERS!

CMA Public Relations Manager, Kaitlin Friedmann (left) and Public Relations Account Executive, Meghan Higgins (right) accepted seven JASPER Awards from Board President, Rich Jack at the 37^th Annual Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association (JSPRAA) Awards Gala on October 14.

CMA received seven JASPER Awards at the 37^th Annual Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association (JSPRAA) Awards Gala held Friday, October 14 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey--the most out of any agency who entered the competition. 

CMA received three gold awards for the creation of a brochure for a financial publication, a print magazine for an electrical buying group and public relations campaign for a meetings industry association. The firm also received four silver awards for a brochure and internal newsletter for a global accounting association, sales kit for a regional medical dermatologist and a web banner for a national transportation association.

“It is an honor to be one of the agencies with the most wins of the night,” said Jeffrey Barnhart, President and CEO of CMA. “This success coupled with our outstanding showing at the ASTRA awards confirms our commitment to serving client needs effectively.”

Finding the B2B Bull’s-eye

CMA works with many different kinds of business-to-business (B2B) clients and each are unique in their own right. They face different market challenges, they have different goals and have unique sales cycles. Perhaps the largest variable to consider in B2B marketing is who the target audience is.

Within a B2B company’s target zone, it’s always essential to find out who makes up the “bull’s-eye.” After all, it’s a common rule of thumb that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients—the most loyal clients. The genesis of this theory was an Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who in 1906 noticed that 80% of Italy's land was owned by 20% of the population. He then carried out surveys on a variety of other countries and found to his surprise that a similar distribution applied.

The way marketers are building brand loyalty has obviously changed drastically since Pareto’s time, but the principle remains. Consider this recent eSurvey of 1,100 North America marketers. It found that B2B marketers employ an average of eight different tactics to achieve marketing goals and those tactics mostly included content marketing.

“Content Marketing,” or custom media (sometimes called custom publishing, custom content or branded content) is the creation and distribution of educational and/or compelling content in multiple formats to attract and/or retain customers.

Essentially, what this says about the new B2B marketing landscape is that marketers are now publishers. There are many different avenues for creating useful information for potential customers while showcasing a company’s expertise.

Ready to be a publisher? Give us a call to learn the many ways CMA can bring these tactics to life for you.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

Keep it Consistent

In today’s fast paced world, we can end up moving from one marketing project to another without a second to breathe. It’s important to take a step back regularly to make sure each “project” still has a consistent message and relates back to your brand in a meaningful way.

These questions can help you figure out if your brand is in conflict.

Are you having an identity crisis? Moving quickly to keep up all of your marketing needs can sometimes make you lose focus and miss the big picture. You might find that your brand changes with each new project. Before you know it your website, print ads, e-newsletter and printed collateral don’t hang together any more. 

Have you put it all out on the table? To see if you have a problem, you have to bite the bullet and put all your marketing in one place at the same time so that you can review them. Make this a team effort because you’ll be surprised what other marketing pieces are being used throughout your company that may not reflect your brand properly.

Is your website speaking a different language? While you don’t want your website to be simply a digital version of your corporate brochure, you need your online presence to be cohesive with your collateral materials. Be sure when one is updated, so is the other.

When is it ok to be different? Like any rule, sometimes there needs to be an exception. Special promotions might require a unique look and feel or a certain target audience needs to be communicated to differently. Overall, even within these specific circumstances you want to make sure your marketing messages and identity are inline and the returns from these promotions pay off for your overall brand.  

Need help getting your brand back together?  CMA can help you evaluate your current marketing program and get your brand back on track.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

3 ½ marketing ideas for 2011

Although you may think the year is winding down, there’s still time to consider some marketing ideas. If you are going to attempt anything—try these.

1. Take advantage of social media.

Social media is a big challenge for small businesses. The difficulty is finding the time, with only a minority of firms saying they have a dedicated individual following up on the various social media sites on a regular basis.

What can you do to take advantage of this new media?

• Set aside time each day to manage your sites
• Communicate often with the members of your group
• Monitor your subscribers
• Listen to your members and respond quickly to their concerns
• Engage, engage, engage – ask questions, poll participants, make it interactive!

2. Produce a video that tells your story.

Placing videos online is not difficult; the key here is to have a well thought-out presentation. It is not simply re-purposing your commercials or ads. Sometimes videos go viral because of the unique way they present their content.

How can your video reach and resonate with the right people?

• Get input from your target audience.
• Write a script – structure is important.
• Don’t make it too long – keep it between 1-3 minutes.
• Publish it on your website and publish it to YouTube.
• Listen to feedback and make changes where possible.

3. Bridge the gap between in-person meetings and digital communications.

Forget about the debate over virtual vs. in-person meetings. You should be doing both. Concentrate on the way you present yourself and your company in the exhibit hall and on the Web through these steps:

• For tradeshows and conventions, booth designs still matter! Come up with the best design for your booth by working with your agency and staff to bring together the best ideas for the maximum foot-traffic.  
• Become part of the buzz. Hold a contest, offer creative giveaways and use social media to drive attendees to your booth.
• Offer seminars and speakers, when possible, that showcase your particular expertise—an in-person seminar can be offered as a webinar for those unable to attend.
• Don’t wait too long to follow up with contacts you’ve met face-to-face or you will lose your audience.

3 1/2. Call Creative Marketing Alliance.

CMA strategies focus your brand and sharpen your competitive edge. Give us a call and we’ll meet you half-way on the road to the business-building marketing and communications your company needs to succeed.

Maximize the Impact of your Website

When evaluating your current website, it is important to consider the tone and company values it relays. Old York Country Club, one of the finest golf courses in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic, turned to CMA for a redesign of the club’s site to create a visually appealing and contemporary website, www.oldyorkcc.com, so the club’s online presence matched the distinction of its golf course’s reputation. Read more for tips you can use to update your website’s design. 

Keep in mind your company’s brand, positioning and philosophy are important when designing all marketing pieces. CMA kept this the focus of the website redesign project for Old York, adding elements and colors that are stately yet relaxed, underscoring both the grand sweep of the golf course and the many opportunities for leisure and social activities. Copy themes focused on a sense of belonging to a larger membership and social family as well as an impressive recreational facility. 

When evaluating your website, another point to consider is the way your company’s website will be viewed. CMA paid special consideration during the design and programming process to ensure that all elements are compliant with modern electronic devices such as the iPad and iPhone.

Updated photo galleries can keep websites fresh and show visitors your company’s personality and benefits. Old York Country Club’s website has been updated to include a grand and colorful photographic tour of the course and club facilities, and showcases the club’s abundant and distinctive recreational, social, dining and leisure amenities for the whole family. 

A password protected Members Only section is another great website element to consider when evaluating your current site. Included in Old York Country Club’s website, this feature helps members keep in touch through a searchable member directory and by serving as a resource for the latest news, upcoming golf and social events. 

Need help taking a fresh look at your website? Give us a call!

Summertime Marketing Success Stories

Summertime is typically a slow season for marketing. Most firms are in the planning stage for campaigns to start in the fall. However, some firms are using these few months to introduce new products and services and are finding success. Here are three examples of high profile companies taking advantage of the supposedly slow season—it’s not slow for them!

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has launched a $ 24 million dollar campaign entitled “Life is short, Summer is Shorter. Make a splash in Las Vegas.” As the leading leisure destination in the world, they are spending $3 million more this year than last year. Using all media including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, they are planning on reversing the trend that has plagued them over the past several years.

BMW beat the benchmarks with a summer campaign that was focused on digital media. They focused on high impact display ads on automotive and premium sites to reach an already engaged viewer. For this campaign, Yahoo gave them an award for their digital strategy which, by the way, increased sales by seven percent.

Pepsi also sees summer as a perfect time to push their brand in the right direction after sinking to third in soda sales. Their summer campaign slogan is “Summer Time is Pepsi Time” and takes direct aim at its competitor, Coca Cola, by parodying their iconic past commercials, such as the polar bears. This strategy shows summer is a perfect time to engage new groups and convert the brand-loyal.

Competition during the summer months is far less than any other time of the year. It is counter intuitive, but it’s a fact. People might be on vacation but rarely stop using all their electronic devices. Because of this supposed slow down, companies that advertise will reap the benefits.

This could be you! Let CMA help you avoid the summer slowdown and gain advantage over your competitors.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

CMA Staff Recognizes Kelly McKelvey

CMA is proud to recognize Kelly McKelvey as the company’s second Crew Star program winner for 2011! The Crew Star program recognizes a CMA employee every quarter for exemplifying CMA’s core values and going above and beyond.

Kelly is responsible for coordinating marketing, advertising and interactive projects for many of CMA’s clients while covering the day-to-day activities involved in business development. Combining her creative talents and customer service experience, Kelly has been responsible for providing effective solutions for clients and communicating a client’s changing needs to the CMA team. A resident of Hamilton, NJ and a graduate of Gettysburg College, Kelly has been with CMA for three years.

Kelly was selected by her peers for her positive energy, speed and dedication, ability to overcome challenges and going above and beyond to service clients. As 2011’s second quarter Crew Star, Kelly will enjoy perks such as a prime parking spot, lunch with the executive team and her picture on the wall in the CMA reception area.

Congratulations, Kelly!

Anatomy of a Rebrand

In June, CMA launched the redesigned and rebranded website for the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA)—www.TMSAToday.org. Part of a six month rebranding campaign, the new website capped off a series of rebranding initiatives including a new association name and logo, a revamped e-newsletter and new programming offered at the organization’s Annual Conference. Let’s look at the phased approach of CMA and the TMSA Board of Directors in bringing this initiative full circle.

Phase 1: Determine an all-encompassing name. CMA worked closely with the TMSA Board of Directors to determine a name that welcomed sales executives, a new target market segment becoming increasingly essential to the success of existing members in marketing and communications. Ultimately, the group decided to stay close to their previous name and acronym (Transportation Marketing and Communications Association, TMCA) but replace communications with sales to directly recruit this segment.

Phase 2: Select a logo. CMA provided three different options for new logos, all looking to fulfill the goal of creating a more vibrant image. A departure from TMCA’s maroon and gray colors, the new logo is blue and gold and utilizes italics to provide movement and relate back to the transportation industry. The four arrows serve as a graphic depiction of the four key areas of member benefits – knowledge, connections, recognition and solutions.

Phase 3: Announce a soft launch. With an association that has been around for decades, CMA knew it would take time to fully establish the new name and brand. Starting the first week of January 2011, CMA’s marketing and public relations teams worked together on an integrated soft launch to notify members and the public of the new identity. The PR team secured nearly a dozen placements in industry media outlets, refreshed the brand look of all the association’s social media sites, introduced a transitional website phase where the new logo was showcased on the home page and began using transitional e-mail communications to the membership.

Phase 4: Full usage of the brand. Because CMA is both a marketing firm and an association management company, implementing the brand went smoothly according to plan. The association management team worked with TMSA’s Education Committee to integrate sales topics into the Annual Conference agenda, while the CMA marketing team worked with the association’s president on his conference presentation to fully introduce all facets of the new brand to the membership. The final pieces of the branding puzzle, the new website and the new e-newsletter, were officially unveiled at the Conference.

Ultimately, CMA provided the necessary team members and structure to create a successful and effective rebranding campaign. The association has been strengthened and is better able to recruit new members due to the refreshed image and increased functionality of member communications.