Marketing Matters

MarketingMatters.biz

Issue 12iJune 2005

ESA Marketing & Graphic Matter, Inc. sharing insights and methods.

in this issue

Cover

Marketing Matters:
A Fairy Tale: Story of the 3 Budget Bears and Lady Lucks

Design Matters:
Know Your Design Options

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Marketing Matters: Ellen Silverman A Fairy Tale: Story of the 3 Budget Bears and Lady Lucks

Once upon a time in the business jungle there where 3 bears – a large bear, a middle bear, and a baby bear.

One morning as they were preparing to start the day, there was a knock at the door. It was Lady Lucks and she was very distressed. “I’ve been wandering through the jungle,” she said “trying to market my business to success. But now I’m lost; the lions are stalking my clients; and the buzzards are circling. I need help.

“I don’t have a big budget,” she said to the large bear; “and I’m not sure where to spend it anyway.”

The 3 bears looked at Lady Lucks and realized she was not properly armed to survive in the jungle. “You’ve come to the right place,” they said; and they invited her in for a bowl of porridge and some cost saving advice.

The large bear started. You’re wasting a lot of time and energy wandering without a map; without a focus, wandering down this path and that. No wonder you’re lost. It doesn’t take a lot of money to find the way to your goal; you just need to redirect all that time and energy to some low cost, high impact creative thinking.

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Design Matters: Knowing Your Design Options Bev Rossi

The key to an effective marketing strategy is to exploit each sales opportunity while spending your time and money wisely. Our experience tell us to factor in your “hidden cost” and “lost opportunity” when you plan a marketing budget. Assuming you have already developed your company identity (logo and unique message) here are additional measures to extend your marketing reach with an eye on the bottom line.

When I do seminars I find many participants ask how much it will cost to have an item professionally or commercial produced. In this article, I have included some cost/pricing information to provide general or relative guidelines. In addition I have provided tips on how to choose between do-it-yourself vs. professionally produced options or between short-term (flexible/prototypes) vs. long-term designs. Consider alternative binding options and customizable "imprint-able" sheets.

alternative binding options (see page 2 for details)

Chicago-screw

Raffia Tie