Recently I posted update on my marketing campaign for my client at Howard Johnsons in Toronto about tracking results for him with his advertising by incoporating a promotion code into his ad. I recieved some feedback which I will share with you from <the_web_gal> aka Chris:

fyi.....there was a forrester report that came out a month or so ago that indicated that print ads were one of the most ineffective mediums currently available.

I appreciate the feedback and will look into tracking down the report mentioned or you can email me a copy at chasemarketing@sympatico.ca

My very first post touched on the use of multiple marketing channels to help my client track value for his advertising dollars. In todays electronic age with movies, news and information only a mouse click away I agree print advertising is not the essential medium anymore as it was 50 years ago. The great thing about the print medium today is it is now extended into the electronic realm of the internet. In the past a newspaper would be passed around and end up at the bottom of a bird cage a few days later. Now that same paper can be posted online and updated on a regular basis. Copies of the paper can be emailed across the world and reach readers never imagined due to the limitations of printing.

Does this mean printed copies will disappear, I do not think so. I remember when books could be downloaded off the web and people thought we would never see a printed copy again, it has not happened, yet... In the next 10 to 20 years will see the evolution of information in printed form and those cool looking tablets you see the Star Trek crew members using could replace the black ink newsprint leaves on your finger. Who knows when you subscribe to the National Post the new marketing tool may be to get a National Post electronic tablet to read daily.

Keep the feedback coming and I will expand more on my marketing project for Howard Johnsons in the next few weeks and show how print media enhances the new electronic age.

Currently I am developing a survey for the members of the Niagara Home Builders Association (NHBA)  to get their feedback after the succcessful launch this month of the Structures Newspaper.


The intent of the survey will be to identify areas we could improve upon, news topics for coverage, find out who would like to submit guest editorial and invite general feedback. In the above logo you can click through to read the first issue. This will be the first survey I have used since joining the Construction News and Report Group so I am very excited and nervous at the same time.

The hard part with the survey is determining which qestions to ask and how to ask them. I can remember in a past life (I am referring to a pasr career, lol) doing a survey telemarketing program where we asked 5 questions that were really only one presented differently. Over 65% of the answers were different with only 30% of them being consistent and the person picking the same option 5 times. At first I thought it was strange that a client would ask 5 questions that way, later only I found out the true purpose was to determin which question generated the response they were looking for. This is a dangerous thing to do since a surbey should generate both positive and negative responses so you can identify areas to improve.

If you have recently developed a survey to gather information or participated in share with me your insights. Once I have my NHBA survey completed I will post it here for you to review and share the results we generated.

Okay the the statement should really say 'Show me the money!" but for the first step to helping my client track value for his advertising dollars this helps get the point across.

In the world of print advertising the impact of a visual ad is the impression it leaves with the viewer. Nine times out of 10 unless someone is looking for or considering the product is goes almost unnoticed. The key with branding in print advertising is repeat impressions to potential customers, but what gets lost in that is playing the old game, "One of these do not belong!" What I mean by this is updating your ad or changing your message so people notice the changes. The best example of this I can give you is the Doritos commercials that started airng last year where they were promoting a new Sweet Chili flavour of chips thatr had 3 sides to them (Doristos or shaped liked trianagles) and each time the commercial aired and the guy walking along a path came across a bear he would he the chip froma different side and the ending of the commercial would always be different. If someone from Doritos is reading this you can send me a free case!

This month I have updated my clients ad to include a special/exclusive 'Promotion Code" for our readers to mention when they book their stays so the client can track results. The next step for mewill be to promote this to our subscribers through an email newsletter letting them know of the exclusive promotion our client is offering to our readers.  Now the other change I have proposed to my customer is adding colour to his ad which has been running in black and white for the past year. To help get the impact across of the difference between the two ads I had my designed send them side by side on a new proof sheet. Of course adding colour has a higher cost but it need not run like this each month to help change the ad up so people take notice of the changes.



I have inlcuded the ad here for you to review and I ask you let me know which you prefer as well as letting me know if you think the added cost of colour is wirth it. I will update you with my clients thoughts as well as yours next week. I will also speak of the next step in helping my client track value in this multi branding exercise.

Check out my facebook page I set up to market all our papers as well as the profile I set up for the GTA Construction Report. This is a very effective, easy and inexpensive way to promote your company or yourself.

Add me as a friend and share with me your experiences using facebook for business networking.

Just exploring the blog settings and thought I would post some work materials.

I am looking to add a calendar of events for coverage within Ontario. Send me the details of your construction related events. These events could be on the of the following:

- Grand Openings
- Ground Breaking Ceremony
- Customer Appreciation Events
- Association Meetings
- Trade Shows
- Conferences


Send me your media releases by email to chasemarketing@sympatico.ca

If you would like to check out a printed copy of one of our regional newspapers click the following link to get a free subcription.



http://constructionnewsreportgroup.wufoo.com/forms/construction-news-and-report-group-free-copy/

I was recently approached by one of my clients and asked, "Can you show my the value my advertising has generated me?"

My first reaction was to say the one thing you should never think of offering your client is, "I have exposed you to several thousand potential customers!" The word exposure in marketing and advertising reminds me of a flasher opening his coat in public for all to see. Is that great exposure?

I think the key with any marketing is the building of a brand and image through presenting the client to potential customers. The trick is unless someone has considered the product or service your client offers they will probably not notice them. When my wife and I purchased our last vehicle a Pontiac Montana Mini Van I thought it was the greatest and newest vehicle on the market. The next week did I not see the same coloured vehicle almost everywhere I went. Unless we purchased that vehicle or had recently thought about it I would never of noticed it.

So my clients product would need to be able to appeal to potential customers who were thinking about using his service and at the same time get face time with others who could soon be thinking of his type of service. The soon to be thinking potential customers challenge is to get enough face time and impressions so they remeber him.

I will talk more in details about my client as the new advertising campaign is rolled out in the next few weeks but I want to share with you some concepts I have been using to increase the awareness of the company I work for the Construcion News and Report Group of Companies that has some principles that I can apply to my client who is looking for a way to measure value for advertising dollars.

First step I took was to speak up and brag about the associations the company I work for is a member of. The reason for this is to help establish rapport with potential clients on some sort of common ground. The associations I am apart of has other members which allows me to get the first ackward part of any introduction out of the way which is, "Who are you?" The associations we are members of are the Niagara Home Builders Association, Greater Ottawa Carleton Home Builders Association, Toronto Construction Association and the Ottawa Construction Association.

I added these association logos with the, "We are proud members of..." slogan to my email signature. Next step was to offer the assocaitions directly in my territory some valuable free advertising space in the newspaper. My showing my relationship with these assocaitions I am using their brand and image to help create one for me to potential customers.

Links to associations we are members of : TCA http://www.tcanetworks.com/ Niagara Home Builders Association http://www.niagarahomebuilders.ca/ Ottawa Construction Association http://www.oca.ca/ and the Greater Ottawa Carleton Home Builders Association http://www.ochba.com/

Second Step was setting up Facebook profiles for the papers I covered, joining groups which interested me and added friends who are in the construction industry.

Links to the profiles and pages: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1056974314 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-ON/Construction-News-and-Report-Group/9798714306?ref=mf

Facebook and other similar sites such as MySpace are interesting Social Networking sites that allowed people to initially connect with lost friends and keep in touch. It did not take long for the social networking aspect to spill over to the business side of life. In todays busness world with the availability of technology in cell phones and computers the working environment has melded with the personal environment for the best or worst of outcomes to be seen.  Facebook has given me another icebreaker to reach potential clients and interact with them in a relaxed setting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Third Step was establishing a strategic relationship with Tree Canada http://www.treecanada.ca/index_e.htm by helping make the newspapers I work for more environmentally friendly. Each month we consume 10 to 12 trees to publish our papers, however with the relationship with Tree Canada we plant a tree for every advertiser on a montly basis. Each month we plant 80 to 120 trees making us the first familly of newspapers to plant more trees then we consume.

Forth Step was looking sponsorship opportunities for industry events. I was able to become a media sponsor for the upcoming Canada Green Building Council  http://www.cagbc.org/ first ever Shifting to the Mainstream National Summit June 11-12, 2008 in Toronto http://www.shiftingintothemainstream.ca/ 

Sponsorship is a tricky thing to consider, what drew my interest to the CAGBC Summit was the following:

- First time event

- Green and Sustainable Building has become a hot topic of interest in the construction industry so it is very relevant in discussions and news coverage

There are many other events that I could and will consider but the my two reasons showed the most potential for more introductions to potential customers.

These ideas are not the end all or be all to improving ones brand and image. They were simple and in some cases inexpensive ways to increase the awareness of my products and get me introductions to potential clients to build relationships with. I think it is also very important to recognize that not all new relationships will bring in advertising revenue but the introductions to some will be more valuable through things such as gaining industry insight and leading news for us to cover.

I want to invite your input on how to help a client measure value for their advertising dollars and your thoughts on building your brand/image.

I will follow up with the next steps I will be taking for my client to help them track results and will look for some ideas from your suggestions as well.