Sometimes it's good to get back to basics so we thought we would share a few simple, basic marketing techniques to help you get your 2013 marketing program in tip-top shape.
Tip #1: Be consistent in your message and
style including your ads, business cards, letterhead, envelopes,
invoices, signs and banners. The idea is to create a cohesive brand that
gets noticed.
Tip #2 - Newspapers, radio and TV stations are helpful in producing advertising
that you are running with them, but they may not always help in keeping
the creative consistent with your brand. Call in the experts and get all
of your advertising and creative created by the same artist.
Tip #3 - Ask your customers for referrals and use social networking to your
advantage. A Facebook page works for most companies to supplement other
advertising and marketing efforts. If you don’t know where to start, we
can help you develop a social networking plan and even implement it if
needed!
Tip #4 - Promote the benefits of your products and services rather than just the
features in all sales and marketing efforts. People need to know WHY
they need your company and what you are selling.
Tip #5 - Know your competitors and
their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing everything about your
competitors is just as important as knowing everything about your own
business.
Want more advice? Call us for a free marketing consultation at (618) 656-7333 or visit us online at http://www.corktreecreative.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and twitter at /CorkTreeCreative and @corktreecreativ
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Planning for 2013 marketing? Here's some tips (ASO Facebook)
Hi Cork Tree friends.
As seen on Facebook this week, we are debuting a new series of marketing tips to our Cork Tree friends to help you plan, implement and record dynamite marketing strategies in 2013. If you didn't catch this on Facebook, here's your chance to read ways to start planning by working on a strategic marketing plan.
As seen on Facebook this week, we are debuting a new series of marketing tips to our Cork Tree friends to help you plan, implement and record dynamite marketing strategies in 2013. If you didn't catch this on Facebook, here's your chance to read ways to start planning by working on a strategic marketing plan.
Developing
a Marketing Plan – Tip #1
A good marketing plan starts with goals and objectives. Set deadlines and determine the length
of your campaign and how you plan to measure its effectiveness. This helps you change what didn’t work
for future planning.
Developing
a Marketing Plan - Tip #2
Get in your toolbox of marketing tricks and determine which
ones you can do yourself and those that you need to outsource. Will you use social networking in
2013? Will you start an e-newsletter
campaign? Will you plan a direct mail campaign?
Developing
a Marketing Plan – Tip #3
Before you can successfully develop a marketing plan, you
need to know your budget. You can
add all the ideas and tactics you want to the plan, but without a realistic
budget, you can’t effectively implement everything.
Developing
a Marketing Plan – Tip #4
Designate individuals responsible for implementing each tactic
of the plan and ask them to report on successes.
Stumped and don't know where to start? Is a portion of your plan beyond the capabilities of you
and your staff? Give us a call at (618) 656-7333. We would be happy to help! Look for more from us next week on Facebook/corktreecreative when we talk about the 5 key ingredients for successful marketing. You can also follow us on Twitter @corktreecreativ. Cheers!!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Coffee. Is it the beauty or the beast?
On the average day we probably drink 3 to 4 pots of coffee at Cork Tree Creative and sometimes more if D-Rock is in the office :) We have a humble staff, luckily, that doesn't require anything fancy . . . just plain-old-Folgers-in-the-red-can kind of coffee. Lately, it seems our industrial strength Bunn can't keep up with the demand making me think (after just pouring my third tall travel mug of JOE) "Man, what is it about coffee that we all love so much?"
Having had a home office for several years I like that coffee brings people together. I remember sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of lightly-sweetened-by-Splenda-coffee and my computer starting my daily "do" list and feeling like something was missing. Randomly I would shoot out emails attempting to set up appointments and inevitably one would include coffee.
For decades, coffee has been a common ground for many professionals. Coffee shops became cosmopolitan many years ago and then experienced a resurgence in the last decade. The beany liquid has become a lure for fast food restaurants and the entire premise of a franchise for those like Starbucks.
I think for some, like me, coffee signifies the start of a productive day . . . the fuel for creative thinking. And, for someone who relies on being creative for a living, that's kind of important. But is it really the coffee that fuels me or the thought of having a common thread with co-workers, clients and friends? Is it the happy hour of the early hours or the actual caffeine that gets me charged?
I recently received a Keurig Coffee Maker from my darling husband as a gift and with big, bright eyes thumbed their catalog that showcases all of the different flavor options available when you buy their KCups. What a treat! Quickly I purchased variety pack after variety pack trying to find that cutesy coffee brand that I could call my own. I even purchased DECAF! I must say . . . I LOVE the Keurig but let me give a warning to all if I run out of KCups. This prompts me to believe that I have not only become a caff addict but also a slave to my rituals. I can almost smell the coffee in my sleep . . . before it's brewed. Sad, I know.
I could debate with myself all day about why and how and when I became quite so dependent on that hot, dark drink but the fact of the matter is . . . I need it. We all seem to need it (at least in our office.) I speak for the entire staff at Cork Tree Creative when I say, if there is one thing in this world that we can point to that helps get us through the day besides, hard work, dedication and a positive attitude . . . that's right, we're pointing to you JOE. With our mugs in the air, "Thanks for the lift."
L
Having had a home office for several years I like that coffee brings people together. I remember sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of lightly-sweetened-by-Splenda-coffee and my computer starting my daily "do" list and feeling like something was missing. Randomly I would shoot out emails attempting to set up appointments and inevitably one would include coffee.
For decades, coffee has been a common ground for many professionals. Coffee shops became cosmopolitan many years ago and then experienced a resurgence in the last decade. The beany liquid has become a lure for fast food restaurants and the entire premise of a franchise for those like Starbucks.
I think for some, like me, coffee signifies the start of a productive day . . . the fuel for creative thinking. And, for someone who relies on being creative for a living, that's kind of important. But is it really the coffee that fuels me or the thought of having a common thread with co-workers, clients and friends? Is it the happy hour of the early hours or the actual caffeine that gets me charged?
I recently received a Keurig Coffee Maker from my darling husband as a gift and with big, bright eyes thumbed their catalog that showcases all of the different flavor options available when you buy their KCups. What a treat! Quickly I purchased variety pack after variety pack trying to find that cutesy coffee brand that I could call my own. I even purchased DECAF! I must say . . . I LOVE the Keurig but let me give a warning to all if I run out of KCups. This prompts me to believe that I have not only become a caff addict but also a slave to my rituals. I can almost smell the coffee in my sleep . . . before it's brewed. Sad, I know.
I could debate with myself all day about why and how and when I became quite so dependent on that hot, dark drink but the fact of the matter is . . . I need it. We all seem to need it (at least in our office.) I speak for the entire staff at Cork Tree Creative when I say, if there is one thing in this world that we can point to that helps get us through the day besides, hard work, dedication and a positive attitude . . . that's right, we're pointing to you JOE. With our mugs in the air, "Thanks for the lift."
L
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sometimes a sign is . . . just that . . . a sign.
It had been some time since we moved into our new office space at 223 S. Buchanan and it seemed that getting a sign, the right sign, was going to be a challenge. We inquired, we waited, we reviewed designs, we waited, we spoke to a new set of sign producers, we waited, we complained to friends, and yet we still waited . . . and none of this torment resulted in a sign.
Now I realize that while reading this you are probably thinking, "Wow, what's the big deal about getting a sign? It is, afterall, just a sign."
Yes, it is just a sign. But, for us, and I'm sure many other business owners, it's been about much more.
Obviously, getting a sign gains us exposure in the community and serves as a geographical landmark of our location. Simple enough. But it also brought with it an overwhelming need to be established or have all of our ducks in a row. A relatively new business with only 18 months as a partnership under our belt, we are branded and successful but until recently, not completely established.
Our website was in need of an overhaul and our new office, where we once seemed organized, suddenly made us feel disconnected. That's when we decided, it's always been about that darn sign. We didn't feel real, or 'in place" until it was at least on order. So the day came when we reached out to a local sign producer Dave Thomas and finally the end was in sight.
Soon after meeting with Dave, and a timeline was in place, we started to re-evaluate EVERYTHING. An executive coach from San Francisco who I recently met put it best . . . our systems were not in order or in need of updates. And if there is any advice I can give other business owners, it's to get your systems in order. A system is defined as relationships, processes, policies, etc. Luckily for us, our relationships are all positive and working properly. In my opinion the most important, the partnership between myself and my business partner couldn't be more solid and all of our staff come to work, exceed our expectations and work drama-free. Equally, our relationships with clients are working and couldn't be better.
What wasn't working was the flow of our office and our inability to dedicate time to us. I don't think this is all that uncommon for small businesses. Most find themselves in the growth stage operating reactively, pushing aside the many internal systems that may be established but in need of updates. Most growing businesses also struggle with the time to sit back and reevaluate operations and really plan, putting ideas and strategies on paper for them.
Not to serve as an example for all, our first order of organization came in the way we segmented our office. Having moved from a tiny office into more space than necessary, we all fanned out in seek of privacy. Well, that privacy didn't allow us to function as creatives. You can't confine yourself to a corner or nook of a building and work as an independent unit if you want a creative "system" to take hold.
So, we did what we believed was best and all moved into the lower level of our building. We can see each other, ask questions, spontaneously brainstorm and share music, laughs and lunch. So far it's working, albeit a short time in place.
I have to admit that at first I was the firmest of all believers in us each having own space. As the writer of the group, I often have to interview local business people and spend a large percentage of my day "in my head" and on the phone. That work regiment doesn't always lend itself to the loft-like atmosphere in which creatives often work. Man, was I wrong.
Secondly, we decided to dedicate blocks of time and treat Cork Tree as if it was a client. We brainstormed ideas for our website, developed a marketing strategy and outlined goals and objectives that may seem lofty now but are completely within our reach. In other words, we put on paper for ourselves what we normally do for clients. How refreshing.
Now that our website is serving all of the purposes we had in mind, our office and systems are reconfigured and that "darn" sign is up, it's time for Cork Tree Creative to enter a second 18 months in operation with a sharpened edge.
It may just be a landmark along a highway for many but to us that darn sign is a sign of many successful years to come and the start of something really great.
~L
Now I realize that while reading this you are probably thinking, "Wow, what's the big deal about getting a sign? It is, afterall, just a sign."
Yes, it is just a sign. But, for us, and I'm sure many other business owners, it's been about much more.
Obviously, getting a sign gains us exposure in the community and serves as a geographical landmark of our location. Simple enough. But it also brought with it an overwhelming need to be established or have all of our ducks in a row. A relatively new business with only 18 months as a partnership under our belt, we are branded and successful but until recently, not completely established.
Our website was in need of an overhaul and our new office, where we once seemed organized, suddenly made us feel disconnected. That's when we decided, it's always been about that darn sign. We didn't feel real, or 'in place" until it was at least on order. So the day came when we reached out to a local sign producer Dave Thomas and finally the end was in sight.
Soon after meeting with Dave, and a timeline was in place, we started to re-evaluate EVERYTHING. An executive coach from San Francisco who I recently met put it best . . . our systems were not in order or in need of updates. And if there is any advice I can give other business owners, it's to get your systems in order. A system is defined as relationships, processes, policies, etc. Luckily for us, our relationships are all positive and working properly. In my opinion the most important, the partnership between myself and my business partner couldn't be more solid and all of our staff come to work, exceed our expectations and work drama-free. Equally, our relationships with clients are working and couldn't be better.
What wasn't working was the flow of our office and our inability to dedicate time to us. I don't think this is all that uncommon for small businesses. Most find themselves in the growth stage operating reactively, pushing aside the many internal systems that may be established but in need of updates. Most growing businesses also struggle with the time to sit back and reevaluate operations and really plan, putting ideas and strategies on paper for them.
Not to serve as an example for all, our first order of organization came in the way we segmented our office. Having moved from a tiny office into more space than necessary, we all fanned out in seek of privacy. Well, that privacy didn't allow us to function as creatives. You can't confine yourself to a corner or nook of a building and work as an independent unit if you want a creative "system" to take hold.
So, we did what we believed was best and all moved into the lower level of our building. We can see each other, ask questions, spontaneously brainstorm and share music, laughs and lunch. So far it's working, albeit a short time in place.
I have to admit that at first I was the firmest of all believers in us each having own space. As the writer of the group, I often have to interview local business people and spend a large percentage of my day "in my head" and on the phone. That work regiment doesn't always lend itself to the loft-like atmosphere in which creatives often work. Man, was I wrong.
Secondly, we decided to dedicate blocks of time and treat Cork Tree as if it was a client. We brainstormed ideas for our website, developed a marketing strategy and outlined goals and objectives that may seem lofty now but are completely within our reach. In other words, we put on paper for ourselves what we normally do for clients. How refreshing.
Now that our website is serving all of the purposes we had in mind, our office and systems are reconfigured and that "darn" sign is up, it's time for Cork Tree Creative to enter a second 18 months in operation with a sharpened edge.
It may just be a landmark along a highway for many but to us that darn sign is a sign of many successful years to come and the start of something really great.
~L
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Cork Tree Creative Experiences Growth
It was only 18 months ago that my partner Jan and I joined forces to form Cork Tree Creative - an Edwardsville-based public relations and marketing firm. With more than 30 years of combined experience, we pooled our talents and launched the company into remarkable growth and new ventures in a very short time.
Early this year, we were pleased to add Cindy Sorgea as a public relations professional with more than 10 years working at PR agencies in St. Louis. We also enjoy the company, and creative talents of two interns joining us from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Jen Baudendistel and Derek Weikle. Jen is a senior studying public relations and Derek is a student of SIUE's art program and assist our graphic design department.
While expanding our staff, we have also expanded services to include social networking and website optimization. While we developed a team that was generating really great looking websites, with all the bells and whistles, we wanted one for Cork Tree that we believe could serve as a true testament to our abilities. Our new Cork Tree Creative website is a great example of how we are able to meet the needs of a company as diverse in skills and services as ours, but also show off our personalities.
Somewhere between expanding staff, getting our brand established and building our client base to include companies in the U.S. and Canada, we moved in Oct. 2009 from a small office suite in the upper level of the Bohm Building on Main Street to a 3,000-square-foot historic building at 223 South Buchanan. The new space gives the Cork Tree team room to spread our wings and allowed us to embark on another new venture of launching a party and accessory gift set for a popular card game that will be solely designed and marketed by Cork Tree Creative to an International audience. This project - Bridget - has allowed us to apply both our public relations and marketing skills as well as our talents in design and packaging. We've managed the Bridget project from concept to completion and today are selling our products through a website designed by our team. It's a true labor of love.
Doing our day-to-day business for Cork Tree Creative and Bridget is important work but we are also true believers in giving back to the community, and in particular the environment. Our team wanted to create a regional program for the recycling of wine corks so we launched Rewind Your Wine, to demonstrate a commitment to improving the environment. Partnerships with Whole Foods, local wine shops and smaller grocery chains have resulted in the collection of thousands of wine corks that would otherwise end up in landfills. I personally appreciate the many volunteers who help us pick up corks and those who take the time to collect them while on the job. Nice work folks!
It's been a busy 18 months and yet we continue to evolve, create partnerships in the community and do what we love. Thanks for supporting us as we enter this next phase of our business.
~Laura
Monday, November 23, 2009
TEAM MED GLOBAL CHOOSES CORK TREE CREATIVE FOR MARKETING SERVICES
Team Med Global, a provider of medical consulting services, today announced that it has contracted with Cork Tree Creative for the development of its new website www.teammedglobal.com and for assistance in marketing its services to medical staff professionals throughout the country.
Specifically, Cork Tree Creative will provide assistance in marketing Team Med Global's educational sessions for Medical Staff Professionals (MSPs) and various consulting services offered to medical staff offices (MSO), Credentials Verification Organizations (CVO) and Managed Care Organizations (MCO), Ambulatory/Outpatient Centers and Specialty/Physician Practice Groups. Cork Tree Creative will also assist Team Med Global in delivering its message to medical professionals through trade publications and collateral materials as well as optimizing the Team Med Global website for greater exposure on the World Wide Web.
For more information about Team Med Global and its services, contact Donna Goestenkors at (618) 830-0057 or visit http://www.teammedglobal.com/.
Cork Tree Creative, owned and operated by marketing veterans Jan Carpenter and Laura Reed, is a full-service public relations and marketing firm located on Main Street in downtown Edwardsville. The company provides public relations, marketing, graphic design, website development and optimization, branding and advertising services to companies throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about Cork Tree Creative, please call (618) 656-7333 or visit www.corktreecreative.com
Specifically, Cork Tree Creative will provide assistance in marketing Team Med Global's educational sessions for Medical Staff Professionals (MSPs) and various consulting services offered to medical staff offices (MSO), Credentials Verification Organizations (CVO) and Managed Care Organizations (MCO), Ambulatory/Outpatient Centers and Specialty/Physician Practice Groups. Cork Tree Creative will also assist Team Med Global in delivering its message to medical professionals through trade publications and collateral materials as well as optimizing the Team Med Global website for greater exposure on the World Wide Web.
For more information about Team Med Global and its services, contact Donna Goestenkors at (618) 830-0057 or visit http://www.teammedglobal.com/.
Cork Tree Creative, owned and operated by marketing veterans Jan Carpenter and Laura Reed, is a full-service public relations and marketing firm located on Main Street in downtown Edwardsville. The company provides public relations, marketing, graphic design, website development and optimization, branding and advertising services to companies throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about Cork Tree Creative, please call (618) 656-7333 or visit www.corktreecreative.com
THE GODDARD SCHOOL IN EDWARDSVILLE TAPS CORK TREE CREATIVE FOR PR SERVICES
Edwardsville-based public relations and graphic design firm, Cork Tree Creative, today announced that it has been selected by The Goddard School located in Edwardsville to provide comprehensive public relations services to the growing school.
Cork Tree Creative will assist the The Goddard School with media relations, event planning, recruitment strategies and internal and external communications programs. The Goddard School opened its doors in Edwardsville in February 2009 and now serves more than 120 area families with children ages 0 to 6 years. Owned by Edwardsville residents, Barbara and Thomas Burrows, The Goddard School is part of the Goddard School franchise, which was recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times, for the second consecutive year (October 2008). The school is still enrolling for fall 2009.
Cork Tree Creative, owned and operated by marketing veterans Jan Carpenter and Laura Reed, is a full-service public relations and marketing firm located on Main Street in downtown Edwardsville. The company provides public relations, marketing, graphic design, website development and optimization, branding and advertising services to companies throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about Cork Tree Creative, please call (618) 656-7333 or visit www.corktreecreative.com
Cork Tree Creative will assist the The Goddard School with media relations, event planning, recruitment strategies and internal and external communications programs. The Goddard School opened its doors in Edwardsville in February 2009 and now serves more than 120 area families with children ages 0 to 6 years. Owned by Edwardsville residents, Barbara and Thomas Burrows, The Goddard School is part of the Goddard School franchise, which was recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times, for the second consecutive year (October 2008). The school is still enrolling for fall 2009.
Cork Tree Creative, owned and operated by marketing veterans Jan Carpenter and Laura Reed, is a full-service public relations and marketing firm located on Main Street in downtown Edwardsville. The company provides public relations, marketing, graphic design, website development and optimization, branding and advertising services to companies throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about Cork Tree Creative, please call (618) 656-7333 or visit www.corktreecreative.com
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