Long before I founded the marketing agency in Phoenix, Shakespeare’s “Brevity is the soul of wit” was one of this writer’s favorite sayings This is because most of the long-winded dissertations one sees in contemporary advertising and public relations copy make it seem like the perpetrator was being paid by the word, and that clarity or information transference – not to mention persuasion – was not the marketing messenger’s main object

A position is like a chin; everyone has at least one For a business, it is important to have a position that is clear, and states benefits for current and prospective clients/customers

Here is the fundamental premise on which all marketing is based: If the consumer isn’t aware that you exist, you can’t sell your product When encountering a prospect on the showroom floor or at a trade show, in every case, he or she was “delivered” to that critical point by an awareness of you; whether through an advertisement, a referral or, in the trade show circumstance, merely because you were there

Recently, our marketing agency in Phoenix commissioned a sampling survey of the 8,000-plus subscribers to our newsletter We did it in order to get a handle on a profile of our readership across many categories

Small businesses seem to be failing in near-record numbers these days An obvious reason is that there are many that simply don’t deserve to succeed for a number of logical reasons, i

Since 1976, our marketing agency in Phoenix has developed marketing plans for hundreds of businesses, from one-person startups to elite members of the Fortune 500 All have one thing in common: The fundamentals, as exemplified by those listed below, must be in place before developing strategies and tactics designed to accomplish a specific, predetermined set of objectives

Over the past three-plus decades our marketing agency in Phoenix has had numerous opportunities to work with firms, usually younger companies or startups, that have not previously worked with a marketing agency, advertising agency or public relations agency in Phoenix or anywhere else Sometimes their approach to our initial meetings takes on the tone, “be gentle, it’s our first time,” or at least it feels a little like that

Whether you are heading a Phoenix marketing agency like I have for 34 years, or selling dresses in Dallas, you probably have come to the conclusion that even making an occasional marketing mistake may be far better than not doing any marketing at all But, as we at our Arizona advertising agency have learned, it is nonetheless true that avoiding some of its inherent pitfalls can be quite beneficial to your business health

Within the next 30 days, contact three of your favorite customers or clients (depending on what term you use to label these people) and present them with something they can use, ie

As founder of a marketing agency in Phoenix, I ask the rhetorical question, is excellent customer service becoming something of a rare commodity, or have I just been getting unlucky lately For more than 33 years, our Arizona marketing agency has preached the gospel of excellent customer service, yet just this past week, I have experienced three separate incidents in which the customer service I received was, to put it mildly, deficient

To the degree it is recognized, your brand sends a message to your prospects It can work something like this in the consumer’s mind: “(Your brand here) is: • a good ‘place’” • good, but too expensive” • ok, but too cheap

Trust it marketable because it offers prospects a reason to make a purchasing decision with a relatively low level of fear and/or apprehension It is a win/win for marketing, advertising and public relations pros and their clients because it provides clients a measure of freedom and confidence in acting, and marketing agencies a nonpareil differentiator

Public relations in Phoenix and other top growth markets is very fluid For example, after being a member of Linkedin for a couple of years, I recently found the time and decided to actually get involved with this venerable business/social networking site that was launched in May of 2003

The main reason that many marketing plans in Arizona or anyplace on else don't work is that they are not allowed to That is to say, most companies don't have an actual marketing plan

Step 1: Focus on your core product An Arizona Advertising pro told me that a very successful e-newsletter entrepreneur has built his business around this mantra: "Prospects buy when they trust your value is applicable to them and believe your company is stable

Why will the “little guys” lead the way It’s just that they always have and they probably always will

Results of a recent survey by the Yellow Pages Association revealed the following: "Almost two-thirds of small business owners say they do not seek external marketing help" What I find particularly interesting about this quote are the words "do not seek

As a marketing consultant, I was invited to be a faculty member of the Business Success Institute, a fledgling creation of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, through which business owners and managers are brought together for lectures and workshops on finance, human resources, sales and marketing

There is a strategic marketing lesson to be learned in the following words uttered before a rapt audience of Congressmen and United States Senators: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance

Within a 10-day period, yours truly presented three marketing talks to a cumulative total of nearly 300 business owners and sales/marketing executives in Trinidad and Tobago The many one-on-one discussions I had immediately after each session with some of those in attendance struck me with its similarity to the responses I have received after conducting marketing workshops here in the United States