MEDIA RELATIONS VEHICLE

Step back and take a look at the big picture, put together your media relations plan.

Media relations will not happen on its own -- it takes work, time and skill. A media relations plan will help create a roadmap for a successful media outreach. After identifying your target audience in your communications plan, the media relations portion will look at how to use the media to reach this audience.

The objective of a media relations campaign can be to establish expertise, build goodwill, reinforce brand, introduce a new service, assist in generating leads, or manage a negative event. The media can be used to enhance the public’s knowledge and understanding of your advertising and promotional programs as well.

It is another communications vehicle used to keep a message in front of industries and decision-makers. The media can be used to build credibility -- people tend to see information they have viewed in the media as important. Using the media can extend the reach and frequency of your message. And while broadcast and print may be losing share, using the Internet’s media channels has increased the avenues audiences get their information.

Here are ideas for completing a media relations plan to get publicity for your business

• The goals and objectives of your media relations plan can match those of advertising and promotion. An integrated communications plan needs to review the target message and how media relations can be used to reach your target audience.

• Begin developing your media contact list. Look at both offline and online media sources. Where does your audience get their information? Is it television, newspaper, magazine, Blogs, v-logs, podcasts, RSS, etc. The time attributed to the research as well as media directories to help get to know the right journalist, editors and publishers make up this budget line item.
• Begin to develop your public relations “plan of attack”. The timing and choice of vehicles needs to be developed. All mediums have schedules and deadlines so you want to make sure that you’re responsive. Media sources want stories that are timely and relevant. They are looking for unique perspectives. Will you use press releases? How many announcements do you anticipate? Announcements can be on things like new hires or new products. Do you plan for customer success stories or acquisition announcements? Don’t forget to budget for supporting graphics, charts, diagrams or photography to help illustrate a topic for the media. You can budget for X number of releases or have a monthly budget. Either way the budget is made up of the writing, production and distribution costs. Online public relations distribution services have fees by release or as a monthly subscription.
• What are your newsworthy stories? Is there a major announcement or controversy in the forecast? Is there a new change in business direction, new research information, or a major new product in the pipeline? Will a spokesperson help bring attention to your initiatives? A press conference or media tour could appropriate. Photo ops, interviews and B-rolls can be used. A satellite media tour is a way offer one-on-one interviews remotely. Creating the pitch, a press kit and then pitching media outlets are possible beginnings for a budget. The cost of putting on a press conference or media tour will depends on the number in the series.
• Is there an “angle” worth pitching to an editor for a feature article? If a publication has a focus for a particular month and you have a story to add to this article, talk to the editor. Have you done research or surveys to support your angle? Knowing the publications’ media schedules and becoming an expert on industry expert that editors can turn to for information is a worthwhile endeavor. Whether you do it yourself or hire of PR firm, it’s researching the calendars and developing the relationship with the editors. Once an opportunity is identified, it is the cost to write the feature article that makes up the budget.
• The media is always looking for credible experts. By developing a white paper on a particular subject, it may provide the validation media is looking for. White papers can be offered up to your audience in a press release or used in a press kit. The budget again is made up of the writing and distribution costs of these tactics. Other places that the media may go to find industry expert is Letters to the Editor, broadcast interviews and pre-package stories. Seeking seminar or speaking engagements may also add credibility.
  

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop their angle, hook and timing to use media relations in their communications plan. We can help develop the message for your audience to help them know and believe as well as persuade them. We look forward to putting an estimate of costs together and working with your company to help you meet your business objectives. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

PROMOTIONAL VEHICLES

Plan your promotional activities to support your marketing efforts

A marketing communications plan should be developed at the beginning of each year. Promotional activities are most likely part of your marketing communications plan. Promotional options should be evaluated and narrowed to best suit the marketing objectives established. A promotional budget will help you allocate for certain activities. It will help you manage expenses and resources throughout the year.

Let me suggest re-reading my Blog Post: Are you overwhelmed and feel that your marketing program lacks focus? This Blog offers suggestions of what a corporate marketer needs to put a written plan together. Once you begin to outline your integrated marketing communications plan, various promotional activities, such as Internet, brochures and direct mailings, will most like be used in your marketing and sales efforts. The analytical measurement of your marketing communication activities will be covered separately.

Lets look at various tactics and what to consider in putting together a good mix for your promotional budget.

• Your website is part of your online presence. Could it be that you don’t have a website? Or are you ready for a new phase to your current website? Do you need to add ecommerce? How long has it been since you reviewed your search engine optimization (SEO) strategies? Don’t forget the cost of hosting and the need for future updates in your budgeting.
• Do you have collateral needs this year? Do you need to create and print any new brochures, case studies, or sell sheets? Do you anticipate the need to reprint any old collateral? The creative, production and printing of collateral make up this budget portion.
• Is direct marketing part of the communications mix? Do you have a catalog for direct order to produce? Is there a post card, direct mail, and newsletter campaign you see for this year? The creation, reproduction and distributions of these vehicles make up this line item.
• Have you considered using any broadcast promotions like audio, video, Internet TV, Vlogs? The Internet provides unique ways to distribute these broadcast promotions. One example is the popular video-sharing site YouTube. Budget for the creation and posting strategy for the content as well as the tactics needed to attract the listeners and viewers.
• What type of interactive promotion makes sense? The program should value, engage and reward your target audience. Whether it’s in the online or offline world, here are some ideas to consider: cd-roms, kiosks, games, contests, reward and incentive programs. An interactive promotion, that audiences won’t ignore and find interesting, may be a worthwhile investment. The content creation, distribution and promotion should be budgeted for.
• What online tools have you considered for creating and distributing your promotional message? Is sending e-mails a way to get timely information out to your target audience? Is an informative Blog a way to build regular traffic to your website? Does your audience desire up-to-date announcements via a RSS feed, SMS mobile messaging or podcasts? Does using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn fit the plan? Is creating and promoting your own social community a way to enhance your online presence? Again budget for the creation and posting of your online promotional vehicles.
• How about guerilla marketing? While it can be easier said than done, you need a targeted idea that provides maximum impact at a minimum expense? Is it an online viral or buzz marketing promotion or an offline word-of-mouth campaign? Would a grassroots marketing approach work to reach customers more individually? Is there a way to have customers engaged in an experimental marketing environment?
• And lastly, promotional products can get your companies name in front of your audience on an item that they may keep for a long time. Whether it is a key chain, pen, t-shirt or a unique gift — the product can be used as a giveaway or motivator and themed to a larger promotional plan. Your budget can vary depending on the product you choose as well as the quantity purchased.

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is ready to help put together an integrated communications plan to keep or capture new market share. This plan will likely include one or more promotional vehicles. We are ready to assist in the promotional plan as well as the creation and execution of the unique project. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

ADVERTISING VEHICLES

Outline your activities to begin to calculate your advertising budget.

Your advertising budget consists of the costs of media planning as well as the creation and placement of airtime, ad space, billboards, and online advertising vehicles. This can be the largest part of your communications plan. There are a few ways to figure out exactly how much you should spend but the easiest formula is a percentage of gross sales.

Whatever formula you use, your advertising should increase the exposure of your business. It requires knowledge of your target markets, their behavior and an understanding of the various media options. Start by outlining the different advertising vehicles while looking at reaching as many people as possible. Your goal is to get the lowest cost-per-thousand (CPM) for your target market. Ultimately you will begin to see your advertising budget and a course of action to act on.

Once you have established a budget, you have a media plan based on activities because they are researched and are planned for. You can begin to say no other activities because your budget is exhausted. If you approach it as a yearly plan, you have bargaining power with media outlets to negotiate the best price based on frequency.

Here is an approach to putting an advertising plan together.

• While keeping the objectives in mind, a media plan should begin to review and recommend the best possible use of the various media outlets. An analysis of reach, frequency as well as cost per thousand (CPM) will help compare the effectives of the each advertising activity. Once the outlets are chosen, you can begin to negotiate the rates, outline the placement and material deadlines. A media plan put together by a professional may be worth the line item in your budget. Media placement can be a time consuming and complex activity. It may make sense to hire a Media Buying Agency to help you make the most cost effective decisions and get you the most “bang for the buck.”
  
• One advertising vehicle to consider is broadcast. Does television or radio make sense to deliver your information to your audience? How many spots are needed and are there specific times or programs that make sense. Is it a 30 or 60 second spot? The cost of creating the spot, the frequency over how many channels make up your broadcast budget. Audience measurement from third party research companies, like ACNielsen for television viewership and Arbitron for radio station listenership, will help evaluate each medium.
  
• The many types of print vehicles to consider may include newspaper, magazine, trade journal, directory and yellow page advertising. Each category should be evaluated for audience strength. Begin to outline each publication and their ad size. Budget for the creation of the various print advertisements as well as the cost of placement. Use Audit Board of Circulation (ABC) data to verify circulation figures.
  
• The vast world of out-of-home can include geographic-targeted mediums like billboard, signage, posters, point-of-sale, bus, transit, arena and cinema advertising. If the media plan includes this vehicle, the creative production and number of “showings” are added up to make your out-of-home advertising line item. SRDS has an out-of-home service with complete information for this advertising category.
  
• Companies are shifting their budgets around to include online advertising vehicles like pay-per-click, affiliate, banner, video, podcasts, webcast, e-mail newsletter, mobile and digital editions. The online places can include search engines, publications, industry sites, communities, blogs, white papers and social media sites to name of few. Well-targeted copy and visuals created for this unique medium, as well as the cost of placement, make up your online budget. The cost of measurement and online analytics is generally accounted for elsewhere in the communications plan.
  

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is ready to help put together an integrated communications plan to keep or capture new market share. This plan may include advertising. We are ready to assist in the media plan as well as the creation and placement of broadcast, print, out-of-home and online advertising vehicles. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

Related Blog Postings:

• Marketing Audit. How Long Has It Been Since Your Company Did One? http://tinyurl.com/ly8of4
• Overwhelmed and Feel Your Marketing Program Lacks Focus? A Communications Plan Can Help. http://tinyurl.com/nkvrty
• “Creative Brief” Can Organize the Details of Starting a New Project. http://tinyurl.com/mmc67

WEBSITE PLAN

Could it be that you don’t have a website? Or are you ready for a new phase to your current website?

According to a survey from Nielsen Online and WebVisible, only 44% of small businesses have a website. The survey of nearly 4,000 U.S. Internet users found that 63% of consumers / small business owners turn to the Internet first for information about local companies and 82% use search engines to do so. “The Great Divide” makes the case that small business owners need to have an online presence.

A website keeps your business open all the time, it is working for you even when you are not open. It needs to be done professionally so your customers, business partners, and even investors look at your business seriously. The visitor needs to be able to find the information quickly on your company, products or services. If it has been years since your site was designed or worst you do not have a website at all, make this an important item on your communications plan.

Here is an each approach to putting a website plan together.

• Gather all information about the company like full name, address, phone/fax/toll-free numbers, domain name you own or desire. A brief description about the company as well as who your target audience is.
• Define the websites’ purpose. Is it to sell products, promote your service, provide information, or promote a cause? Do you want to promote your business nationally or globally?
• List your top five competitors and their website address, if known.
• Begin to outline the sites’ organization and design. How many pages do you think you need? List them if possible. What is your expected timeline? Do you see video, audio or animation as part of the design? Do you need add-on modules for databases, e-commerce, news feeds, surveys, site searches, or user name/passwords? Differentiate the outsource from in-house functions. Who is supplying copy? Design? Programming?
• Describe your search plan. Do you need search engine marketing? Is it natural or paid? Besides the home page, are there any underlying pages that need unique SEO development? For keyword development, list phrases that would describe your industry or target audience. Besides the major three search engines, list any industry sites that you are aware of.
• Think about your hosting and maintenance needs. Do you need hosting, uploading, or ongoing maintenance? Will you need changes on a daily, monthly, quarterly or annual basis?

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop powerful marketing communication vehicles. Your website is an important part of your communication plan. We will treat it as such. This website plan can help your company organize this promotional online project’s needs and goals.

Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your website plan. We look forward to putting an estimate of costs together and working with your company to help you meet your business objectives. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

“The Great Divide” study is available for download at www.thegreatdivideonline.com.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Are you overwhelmed and feel that your marketing program lacks focus?

Then, putting together an annual communications plan can help. Marketers can gain a sense of focus, as well as help executive management support and fund the objectives of a marketing program. This might also help you resist last minute or “seat of the pants” efforts because they just don’t fit in your plan. A clear communications budget can help you add those last minute ideas, which inevitably pop up throughout the year, because they fit in with your plan. Marketers can monitor, evaluate and adjust the plan as necessary. You will have the tools and timetable needed to address your marketing objectives and give your day-to-day work order and control.

Here is a suggestion of what a corporate marketer needs to put a written communications plan together.

• A meeting of the companies stakeholders should be planned to discuss approaches, ask questions, and discover challenges or issues. The representative from management, sales and operations should have consulted with their team prior to understand their business area’s unique challenges.
• Begin to define your market and company’s current position from an internal and external perspective. Include a company description, annual sales, the number of employees, and an industry overview. Develop a customer profile as well as a competition profile. Begin to list your strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. What are your target markets?
• Next, begin to outline the marketing objectives. What are the goals for the long term, 24+ months? Goals for short term, 6 – 12 months? Who are your current customers? Do you have customers that you want to target? Do you need to segment your target audiences? Is the communications strategy unique for these target audience segments? What is your current awareness in the market? Do you want that to change?
• The first three steps are to keep you focused on your marketing goals and objectives. Now the various communications tactics are planned to achieve these goals and objectives. What are your advertising vehicles? Do you need a media plan, broadcast, print, out-of-home and online? What is the timing of these vehicles, when and how often? What are your promotional vehicles? Does website, collateral, direct marketing, broadcast promotion, interactive, social media, guerilla marketing and promotional products need to planned this year? What are your media relation vehicles? How much media contact, public relations, and articles need to be planned? What are your analytical vehicles? Do you need database, market research and tracking planned? By attaching dollar amounts to each item, you will be able to see the communications budget needed for to achieve your marketing plan.

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop marketing communications plans to keep or capture new market share. We are ready to consult with you, then based on our experience and the information we gather, help put together a communications plan. We believe this plan will be a framework for a powerful marketing communications program. Our goal is to help you meet your marketing objectives by assisting in implementing and delivering a clear, consistent message. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

MARKETING AUDIT

How long has it been since your company did a marketing audit?

The marketing audit process can help your company analysis and evaluate your approaches, activities, aims and results achieved. While the process can take time, the results can reveal markets ignored or neglected. Marketers can take these results to fine tune a communications plan to help achieve greater market share.

Here is the essential information a corporate marketer needs to assemble about the company and how they do business.

• An overview of the company with details like locations, sales history, and mergers, as well as how aware and perceived the company is among buying influences.
• State the long-term priorities (next two years), as well as short-term (12 months), as they relate to marketing goals and objectives. Do you want to increase visibility? Size? Market share? Etc.
• Describe the customers you currently do business with, as well as the customers you would like to target.
• Describe your product or service, as well as the strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition. Are there any factors that affect them? What is the current awareness and perception of your product or service? How has sales or market share changed over time?
• Describe your past business and/or marketing encounters. What has helped grow the business? What has not? Was there something that was not tried but might have helped? What is your competition doing to grow their business?
• Identify three to six companies that are your competition. Describe their products/services, features/benefits, pricing, size of the company and distribution. Are you aware of their sales or market share? What is their strategy for the near future?
• Begin to outline your communications plan. List all your current media sources from advertising, promotional, media relations, events and analytics. Do you have fixed annual costs? If you have new marketing efforts, what are the funds available for these efforts? What do you consider to be the most effective medium to date?

As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop marketing communications plans to keep or capture new market share. The marketing audit process can help your company analysis and evaluate your approaches, activities, aims and results achieved. We look forward to working with your company to develop a powerful marketing communications program to meet your business objectives. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.

CREATIVE BRIEF

Starting a New Project?

Whether you are starting a new business, launching a new product or beginning a new campaign -- a creative brief can help your company organize the details from the beginning and keep it in line with your marketing objectives.

Here is some information a corporate marketer might pull together before engaging an agency in a new communications project.

• Develop a job title and give a short description about the project.
• State your marketing objectives in terms of goals.
• Define the target audience and the benefits that you want to communicate.
• List any assumptions about the desires or needs for your product or service.
• Information about the competitive landscape should be shared.
• Begin to organize what key and secondary messages you may want to convey.
• List the items that must be included like logo, phone number, codes.
• And lastly, be clear about expected time lines and your budget requirements.

Brigham & Rago has experience in advertising from media planning to print ads, promotion from collateral to online marketing, and media relations from media contact to press releases. We look forward to working with your company to develop a powerful promotional message as well as keeping this project on time and on budget. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients. 100%

AWARD-WINNING ADVERTISING AGENCY

Brigham and Rago Wins Summit International Creative Award

MORRISTOWN, NJ, April 24, 2009 -- Brigham and Rago, an advertising agency based in New Jersey, won a Silver Award in the 2009 Summit International Creative Competition for their client Schindler Elevator Corporation.

Competing against thousands of submissions from 26 countries, Schindler’s inaugural issue of their customer publication entitled “Next Floor” scored among the very best in the “magazine” category. The magazine, distributed to customers in North America, has stories about a wide range of subjects with an underlying focus on Schindler's intelligent solutions for urban mobility.

Over the past 15 years, the Summit International Awards organization (SIA) has established itself as one of the premier arbiters of creative excellence. Being recognized by the SIA is considered quite prestigious.

Discriminating critics were highly impressed with Brigham and Rago’s creativity. This year’s international panel of judges included professionals from Ogilvy One Worldwide; Harrison & Star; MSN an Interpublic Group Company; Squeaky Wheel Media; the doug agency; Mfx Interactive, Inc.; EvoLogue; Paragon Marketing Communications; Stellar Debris Creative Studios; Kulwant Advisory.

About Brigham and Rago Marketing Communications: A full service New Jersey advertising agency with experience in advertising from media planning to print ads, promotion from collateral to online marketing, and media relations from media contact to press releases. More information can be found at: http://www.brigham-rago.com

Media Contact:
Nancy Rago, VP, Design and Production
Brigham and Rago Marketing Communications
Phone: 973-656-9006
E-mail: nancy (at) brigham-rago.com

BRAND IDENTITY

How to Begin Creating a Brand Identity


Brigham and Rago is an award-winning, advertising agency based in New Jersey, here to help businesses promote the brand identity for their company, organization, product or service. We can perform a brand identity audit to help your company begin to develop your identity for consumer recognition and competitor differentiation.

Here are some of the questions corporate marketers need to consider when developing a brand identity.

• Regarding your brand as a product, what are the attributes in regards to user choice or experience do you want to convey? What are the qualities or values you want to promote? What associations with uses and users need to be communicated? Is there something about the country or region that requires unique promotion?
  
• Regarding your brand as an organization, what are the attributes of your company do you want to convey?
  
• If you had to attach a personality trait to your brand, how would you describe it to suggest something richer and more interesting than just your product’s attributes? What would be the relationship between your brand and the customer? Is it a father, mother, friend, coach?
  
• Is there a visual symbol you would relate to your brand? Does it provide cohesion or structure? Is it easy to recognize or recall? Is it a metaphor? Maybe it symbolizes your company’s heritage?

We look forward to working with your company to develop the verbal and visual brand identity to help sell your brand’s value proposition to customers. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your unique marketing challenges.

Brigham and Rago has experience in advertising from media planning to print ads, promotion from collateral to online marketing, and media relations from media contact to press releases. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients, http://www.brigham-rago.com.