Signum Media

graphic design; marketing & pr; creative web design; internet services

Posts Tagged marketing

Marketing Your Way Out of Recession (Part 1)

Nov 25

Posted by info in Graphic Design | No Comments

Top Tips for Marketing through the Storm – Number One
Over the next few weeks we will be posting regular tips for you on how to market your business effectively to come through the recession in the best position you can.
Marketing is often one of the first things to be cut in tough times, seen as a luxury which cannot be afforded. In all reality, Marketing is the one thing which could make the difference to how your business survives tough times.
Cutting back on marketing is not an option. If you want to come out on top you have to put the effort in now!
Why should you spend money on marketing?
Evidence of the last recession shows that brands which continue to invest in marketing communications prosper mightily afterwards. PG Tips did and improved market share over Tetley and Typhoo who didn’t. Pepsi did and grew market share
over Coca Cola who cut back. Shout loud now and you’ll be at the front of people’s minds when they do decide to spend.

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When times are tough, marketing is often one of the first things to be cut. Some companies see marketing as a luxury but it is in fact the key to ensuring survival and growth in difficult economic times. Cutting back on marketing is not an option.

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When times are hard, the need for marketing is vital and if you want to develop you have to put the effort in right now! Make sure your message in constantly is front of your potential customers so that when they start spending again it is you they turn to first.

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So here’s our first marketing tip: think very carefully about your budget.

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Spend your money wisely by making sure that your marketing is well-targeted and that your message is relevant to your market. Don’t take a ’scatter-gun’ approach and attempt to reach the maximum number of customers with a watered-down message. Be specific in what you say and very careful to whom you say it. Establish a budget and stick to it and then ensure that every penny you spend buys you effective marketing.

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If you need help in finding the right approach and the options available to you, consult an expert in the field of marketing such as Signum. You can call us on 01437 781333 for an informal chat or email.

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Look out for Marketing Your Way Out of Recession (Part 2) … coming soon!

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Keep the clock ticking!

Oct 16

Posted by info in General, Graphic Design, Marketing & PR | No Comments

I’ve been involved in the marketing and promotion business for more than twenty years and I’ve grown used to hearing from some companies the old refrain: ‘times are hard you know, we can’t afford to undertake any advertising, we’ve had to cut our marketing budget’. The funny thing is, most of these companies say this without the slightest sign of tongue in cheek!

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In fact, it is the precise opposite view that these companies should be taking, along with their more progressive and enlightened competitors. It is ‘when times are hard’ that the need for advertising and promotion should be to the fore. If business is difficult to find it makes sense to be pro-active and shout out your message louder rather than sit in a gloomy place wringing your hands and hoping things will get better.

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A quotation from a famous figure of the 18th Century, Thomas Jefferson, sums the matter up perfectly. Jefferson said: ‘The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time.’

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The question which should be asked is not ‘can we afford to advertise?’, but rather ‘can we afford NOT to advertise?’.

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It goes without saying, however, that you should spend your advertising wisely, after giving great consideration as to how it will be most effective. You should be looking at specifically targeting your market with a message that not only has immediate impact but is also long lasting.

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Good design is a pre-requisite of good advertising, this goes without saying. However, design must be pertinent to your product offer and capable of speaking directly to your market. For example, it’s no good having a high-tech ad if you’re selling sweeping brushes! For a design to achieve the correct balance you must bring marketing expertise into the creative process to tweak, redefine and finalise the output.

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To achieve optimum results from your advertising you should consult an agency that possesses the right skills. Signum has just  such a blend of marketing and design and a proven track record of helping customers achieve quantifiable results since 1996.

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If you think we can help you, call us on 01437 781333 or click here.

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Why is your headline important?

Oct 5

Posted by info in General, Graphic Design, Marketing & PR | No Comments

In today’s fast moving, short attention span world you only have a few seconds for your marketing pieces to get noticed amongst the other clutter. Just a few seconds to stop your prospects in their tracks and compel them to read your message. A few seconds to get your message noticed before it’s lost forever!

The single most effective way to make a real impact is to have a benefit-driven headline. It’s the one thing that has proven over and over again to make the difference between massive success and dismal failure – it’s that important!

Here’s what one of the leading marketing brains of the 20th Century, David Ogilvy, said: ‘On average five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.’

So if your headline really hits your prospect between the eyes and forces him to read further, then you can increase your response by up to 500%.

Here a few tips…

- Do your research: find out exactly what your market wants, then…

- Highlight the positive result they will get when they use you.

- Avoid cutesy or clever headlines: not everyone will ‘get it’.

- Obsessively test each headline.

If you follow these simple rules each time you compose a marketing piece, then your chances of success will increase significantly.

Call us on 08450 998796

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