The ALR Marketing Solutions Blog

Generate Customer Loyalty Through Relationship Marketing Practices

Relationship Marketing is a business strategy designed to promote customer loyalty, interaction, and long-term engagement.  Relationship Marketing is cross-functional marketing that is organized around processes that involve every aspect of the organization.  The customer relationship approach focuses on customer retention to leverage a business advantage on competitors. 

There are many benefits once a company has established an ongoing relationship with customers.  Since regular customers are familiar with products and consistent in order placement, they are less expensive to service.  Long-term customers are likely to purchase additional supporting products.  Satisfied customers with an ongoing relationship with a business tend to bring additions customers to the company.  Customer loyalty makes it difficult for competitors to enter a market or gain market share.  Relationship Marketing enables people, processes, and technology to work together to decrease costs and increase profits.  Relationship Marketing uses retention and satisfaction to develop long-term relationships between customers and businesses. 

Relationship Marketing utilizes retention strategies to encourage customers to continue their relationship with a company and reduce the likelihood of customers switching to a competitor.  One strategy that can be employed is cross selling, where related products are promoted to current customers.   Developing a loyalty program, where customers receive incentives for frequent purchases, has increased sales for many companies.  Another effective tactic is product bundling, where multiple products or services are combined into a single package and offered at a single price.  Cross promotions, when customers are given discounts or other promotional incentives to purchaser related products, have also proved to be valuable. 

Another key approach to Relationship Marketing is increasing customer satisfaction levels for businesses.  Mutually beneficial communication exchanges are utilized to inform businesses of their customers’ needs, as well as to inform customers of the full-extent of what the company can offer them.  Customer satisfaction levels have a significant impact on the amount of sales relative to that of competing companies.  Any company that wishes to foster long-term relationships where both the buyer and seller have a more satisfying exchange can benefit from Relationship Marketing.

Relationship Marketing is designed to develop strong connections with customers by providing them with information directly matched to their needs and interests, and by encouraging open communication.  This approach often results in repeat business, increased word of mouth activity, and higher customer satisfaction. 

If you are interested in learning more about relationship marketing and management solutions designed create ongoing customer loyalty, contact ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta Marketing Agency and Atlanta Internet Marketing company for your free solutions consultation.

Interview with Alex Membrillo, successful entrepreneur and co-founder of Cardinal Web Solutions

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with fellow business entrepreneur Alex Membrillo, co-founder of Cardinal Web Solutions, an Interactive marketing and Atlanta SEO Company, for an Interview.         

 Question: Alex, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Alex:  I was born in San Antonio, TX.  As the son of a travel agency owner I had the good fortune of living abroad in Spain and Cyprus before returning to the United States in 1990.  I grew up in Johns Creek, GA, a northern suburb of Atlanta, where I attended elementary through high school.  I’m a 2008 graduate of Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business where, after putting myself through college, I earned a B.B.A. in Managerial Sciences, with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship.

Q: What services does Cardinal Web Solutions (CWS) offer businesses?

Alex:    We offer a full slew of interactive marketing solutions including search engine optimization, pay per click management, social media marketing, email marketing, video marketing, mobile marketing, and web design & development.

Q: With earning over $700,000 in sales from shortly over one year of operation, did you know your business would be a huge success so quickly?

Alex:  Absolutely not!  In the beginning, there were many more days when I was scared than when I was confident.  But I’d build on the little things, like small sales and gains in industry knowledge.  Eventually, smaller clients led to larger clients and big things began to happen.  Two things for sure, I had confidence in what I could accomplish and I never gave up on my focus. 

Q: What types of challenges did you first face after launching CWS?

Alex:  For me the biggest challenge was I had just become a father.  There were a lot of new responsibilities, expenses, and a ton of medical bills to deal with.  Between 14 hour work days and about two hours of sleep each night due to a colicky baby, I was definitely tired.  The challenges of the new work/personal schedule made me that much tougher though.   It prepared me for the difficult days ahead and made becoming successful that much sweeter.  Looking back, I would not have changed a thing.

Q: How did you develop the idea to launch Cardinal Web Solutions last year?

Alex:  After finding a void in the market, my business partner and I developed Cardinal Web Solutions in spring of 2009.  One of the main issues that gave us the imperative to start Cardinal was that clients weren’t being educated on their agency’s processes and activities.  Furthermore, transparency from Internet marketing agencies did not exist - Internet marketing companies were not being held accountable for providing results to their clients.  We knew that we could set the cardinal standard for ethical search engine optimization and all Interactive marketing practices, and so Cardinal Web Solutions was born. 

Q: What led you to strike out on your own?

Alex:  First, it was the desire to work as hard as I wanted and get a return for that effort.  I believe that as an entrepreneur the harder you work the more likely you are to succeed, provided that the business plan is solid.

Second, owning my own business gives me the freedom to make creative decisions.  At the end of the day I really enjoy being my own boss and having the opportunity to grow my company through my hard work and determination.  It is truly inspiring to watch my colleagues take what we do to the next level and bring a great deal of value to our clients.

Q: How, amidst one of the most difficult economic climates in history and with outside funding, were you able to start a company that has quickly become one of the most successful Interactive Marketing agencies in Atlanta, GA and the southeast?

Alex:  Times were definitely tough when we launched Cardinal Web Solutions.  As a result of the economic recession, I lost my job when the company I had previously worked for went under.  It was also about two months before the birth of my first child.  With unemployment on the rise things were definitely unstable and I was down to my last unemployment insurance check.

But I knew that there was a need for what Cardinal Web Solutions was designed to offer.  So with a $750 personal investment, Cardinal Web Solutions opened a home office in my business partner’s small living room where we spent our day’s cold calling companies and taking meetings in Starbucks.   

Our success has come from paying attention to industry best practices and always keeping the customer’s needs close to our hearts. We have always paid close attention to our client’s needs and we strive to pin point their core competencies.  I’ve found you learn more from identifying problems than focusing your attention on one’s successes. 

Q:  At 25 years old, have you found there are additional challenges to being a young entrepreneur?

Alex:  Yes, to begin with you typically don’t have the experience of having worked in a corporate world or managing employees. You are forced to develop your own concepts of how a company should be run and how those that work for it should be treated which can be a wonderful thing.  I also believe that when you are young you have to prove yourself a bit more to potential clients.  No one wants to partner with a potential fly-by-night company so there some definite hurdles in that area.  I found it helped quite a bit to let your confidence in your product/service shine.  Customers find it refreshing when someone really believes in what they are doing.

Q:  Can you tell us about some of the types of clients your company currently works with?

Alex:   We service all industries and work with all types of businesses.  Clients range from local doctors and lawyers to national hotel chains including Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, and Sheraton brand properties throughout the southeast.  We are also pleased to have recently taken on our first international client earlier this year.

Q:  What are some advantages CWS clients gain over your competition?

Alex:  At Cardinal Web Solutions we believe in complete transparency with our clients.  We only operate with ethical and “white hat” internet marketing practices.  Our clients are given access to the same reporting and analytics tools we use when measuring their online presence.   Much of our competition relies on shady business practices which can severely endanger a client’s Internet presence.  Cardinal was founded with the belief that business owners deserve to know and understand each and every internet marketing project that we engage in.

CWS is a full service, turnkey business.  This means our clients can be as involved or uninvolved as they wish to be. Furthermore, our clients also have direct access to the principals of the agency which helps to allay many fears of dealing with a marketing agency. This attention to customer service has given Cardinal Web Solutions a 99% client retention rate.

Q:  What are some of the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to leveraging their online presence?

Alex:  Well, by not using their online presence properly companies don’t leverage it at all.  Finding prospects through online search means you’ve found them at the end of the sales cycle.  These are qualified leads that are actively searching for what your company offers.  For those reasons I feel that maximizing your marketing and advertising opportunities online is crucial.

Another mistake some businesses make is to put too much focus on Internet marketing and ignore the other effective forms of marketing.  All marketing efforts, from print to Internet, should be integrated together.  Engaging customers at every step of the buying cycle is crucial today – a business has to stay front of mind with its customers at all times.

At Cardinal Web Solutions, not only do we understand Interactive marketing, but we can advise on the client’s overall marketing strategy.  In addition to offering customized Interactive marketing plans, we have the in-house resources and collaborative business partnerships in place to assist with all aspects of a company’s marketing campaign.  Our work processes are seamless and provide complete ease for our clients.   

 Q:  What advice would you offer other new business owners?

Alex:  I always remembered that even if my idea was crazy, there have been much crazier ideas that have succeeded.  There are definitely times when you wonder if the risk you have undertaken is worthwhile, however, you have to remember why you started the company and keep your eye on the future.  If you need a parachute than I would recommend setting a definitive timeline of what your measure of success is and when you would walk away if you don’t achieve that.  At the same time, don’t let people scare you off and don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t do what you know you can accomplish. 

For young entrepreneurs, now is the time to try something “crazy”.  Don’t be afraid to take a risk.

Q: Where do you see Cardinal Web Solutions going in the future?

Alex:  I see Cardinal Web Solutions evolving into a full service advertising agency including print, TV, radio, and Interactive marketing services.  Our focus will be on new and emerging trends in interactive media.  It is our thirst for knowledge that will push us to stay ahead of our competition and develop innovative solutions to the market’s needs. While we have made $700,000 in sales in about a year, I would like for that to be a monthly sales achievement.

 

Interview by Media Contact: 

Allison Reinert

ALR Marketing Solutions

404.890.5817

www.ALRMarketingSolutions.com

Premier Atlanta Marketing Agency       

 

  

Exploring marketing campaigns that generate buzz

Public relations and marketing campaigns can be designed to effectively stimulate positive word-of-mouth buzz, which is an exponential expansion of word of mouth (WOM).   The key to generating buzz is to generate excitement.  There are various techniques that marketers can use to successfully accomplish this.

Buzz marketing has made massive successes of products and brands including Pokémon, Beanie Babies, Tickle-me-Elmo, the Harry Potter books, and Zhu Zhu Pets toy hamsters.  Word can spread exponentially with little or no mass media advertising supporting it. 

Successful National Buzz Marketing Campaigns Include…

During the 2004 Summer Olympics, Dodge launched the Pontiac G6.  In the marketing campaign for the product launch, Dodge aired short “teaser” ads with an edgy rock theme and the G6 logo, but no car!  The idea of this marketing campaign was to create build-up to the launch and generate buzz. 

More recently, ABC crafted a marketing campaign for the premier of the final season of their hit show LOST.  The campaign generated lots of buzz, especially online.  They released trailers and commercials for the new season that did not feature any new footage.  This kept online fan forums buzzing with speculations on what was to come.

Another way a marketing campaign can generate buzz is through product samplings.  During the 2010 Super Bowl Dockers aired a commercial advertising a free pants giveaway.  By the next morning the phrase “Dockers free pants” was the top-trending search term on Google, the leading search engine. 

Using the Internet to Effectively Generate Buzz…

BuzzAgent.com is a Web site based company designed to help marketing campaigns spread buzz.  The site recruits everyday people to actively spread word-of-mouth about products their clients are looking to promote.  Anyone can join Buzz Agent’s WOM marketing network to try new products and spread word of mouth.  Some of their current campaigns include DANON Dan Active, Starbucks Pike Place Roast, and Mrs. Paul’s.

Additional Internet Marketing Techniques for Leveraging Buzz include:

1.     Viral marketing – This is an online “pass it along” strategy.  It uses electronic marketing communications to trigger brand messages throughout a widespread network of buyers.  Viral marketing is often accomplished through Email Marketing Campaigns and the distributions of Electronic Press Releases.  

2.    Social Media – Social media can be used to generate buzz amongst a large network of people.  Companies can create Facebook fan pages for their products or brands, Tweet about the latest news, and much more using social media sites.  Online video distributions on sites like YouTube can also be very effective for product promotion.

3.    Online Guides- These serve as online opinion leaders.  About.com, for example, utilizes online guides to provide original consumer information and advice. 

If you are interested in learning more about marketing campaigns that can be designed to generate buzz, contact ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta Marketing Agency and Atlanta Internet Marketing company for your free solutions consultation.  

 

Premier Atlanta Marketing Agency Announces a Headquarters Move to Gwinnett County, GA.

Marketing Industry News:

 
  

 ATLANTA, GA, March 24, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta marketing agency, is pleased to announce their company headquarters is relocating to Gwinnett County on April 1, 2010. The Atlanta marketing company is currently located in the metro-Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek in north Fulton County. In April ALR Marketing Solutions will open the doors to their new office in the Peachtree Corners section of Norcross, GA.

The Atlanta marketing agency is looking forward to being part of the Peachtree Corners business community. Allison Reinert, the company's founder shares, "One of the primary reasons we selected Peachtree Corners is because the area is easy to access from various sections of metro-Atlanta." The office, located a half mile east of GA-141 at Jimmy Carter Blvd., is conveniently close to GA-400, I-85 and I-285, which acts as a perimeter to the city of Atlanta.

At ALR Marketing Solutions, their passion is marketing. ALR Marketing Solutions works to deliver marketing services that meet the client's customized needs. Service offerings include: Atlanta Market Research and Strategic Planning, Atlanta Public Relations and Marketing Communications, Atlanta Internet Marketing, and customized Creative Services. The professional team at ALR Marketing Solutions can provide market research based campaign planning for businesses in any industry. They can also implement all aspects of marketing campaigns, including both traditional and Internet marketing strategy.

The Atlanta marketing agency's consultants provide a full service of marketing solutions to any size business, focusing on small to mid-sized companies. Reinert explains, "We operate on the belief that small businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Small businesses stimulate the market, generate new jobs, employ over half of the private sector employees, and represent the majority of U.S. exporters." It is ALR Marketing Solutions' goal to support the growth of small to mid-size companies in Atlanta.

ALR Marketing Solutions has enjoyed being active in the Johns Creek, GA business community and plans to maintain those relationships after relocating to the neighboring city. Ms. Reinert was recently named the 2010 marketing committee chairperson for the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals. This is a subgroup of the Chamber for local business professionals 40 years and younger.

For more information on the marketing services offered at ALR Marketing Solutions or to visit their new location, contact ALR Marketing Solutions today or check out their online Resource Room for the latest company news.

About ALR Marketing Solutions

ALR Marketing Solutions is a results driven marketing consulting agency that offers customized marketing solutions geared to meet the needs of small to mid-sized businesses. ALR Marketing Solutions strives to deliver quality strategic marketing solutions to clients, and works hard to achieve the client's short-term needs and long-term business goals through superior marketing practices. Allison Reinert, a dedicated professional whose marketing experience includes corporate, agency, and non-profit organization work is the company's founder. Ms. Reinert is a graduate of Columbus State University's D. Abbott Turner College of Business.

For more information visit: www.ALRMarketingSolutions.com

View the press release at 24-7 Press Release.

Why Utilizing SEO Tactics is Important for Maximizing PR Campaign Success

 

PR is a vital way for any size business or organization to communicate its message.  It is also typically viewed as highly credible by consumer markets because it is distributed and published by a third party.

World renowned marketing strategists Al, and daughter Laura, Ries give detailed explanation to this position in their 2004 book, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR.  In it they offer solid arguments on the subject of modern-day brand building.  Al and Laura explain how brands can soar to the top through the savvy use of PR.  This is because advertising has lost credibility among consumers, while PR has not. 

There are two standard ways to distribute/publish a press release:

1.   traditional print publications

2.   electronic publications

When doing electronic PR distribution it is important to understand and utilize search engine optimization (SEO) and Internet marketing tactics.  This leads to a much more visible PR campaign.

 

In 2008 an industry survey by TopRank found that 91% of journalists use standard search to fulfill a component of their job.  This may include researching a story or locating a subject matter expert.  A different market research survey, conducted last year by comSource, found that there were over 14 billion core searches on the Internet done in December 2009.  These market intelligence findings tell us that consumers rely on searches daily to find news and information. 

It is important for any marketing or PR specialist to understand the consumer search behaviors and preferences (keywords) of their client.  They should also be aware of which publications their client wants to be featured in.

Key tactics behind optimizing PR:

SEO makes it easier for various types of search engines to find, index, and rank the PR content.  Optimizing the PR makes it more visible on the Web.  In addition, optimized PR can be mutually beneficial to the client’s Web site if keywords in the piece link back to the site.  This is why many SEO consultants will include PR writing and electronic distribution in their monthly SEO maintenance agreements.

The following types of online content should all be search engine optimized:

· Press Releases

· Online Newsroom

· Media Kit

· Blog posts

· White papers

· E-Newsletters

Key word Research:

Keyword discovery and online competitor research is needed to effectively determine what keyword phrases need to be used in the press release.  The PR should be optimized for at least 2-4 targeted keywords. 

Keep in mind press releases are meant to be read.  So, the writing of the piece should always be optimized for people first, and the search engines second. 

Keyword Placement:

Use keywords in titles, subheadings, and the body of the PR.  Also, embed links in the release to the company sites.  In addition, keyword optimized media can be included in the press releases as an extra way to generate visibility to the news piece.  This may include images, podcasts, and video.

Measuring the Value of the PR:

With electronic PR distribution it is easy to measure the value of each PR piece.  Ways to monitor metrics include:

· Review PR-wire service metrics

· Track Web analytics for Web site

· Create PR landing pages and track conversions

· Observe inbound links

· Continuously check search rankings

Remember…

There is a lot to consider when striving to build your brand and increase revenue through PR and marketing communications campaigns.  Be sure you understand the importance of integrating proven SEO tactics into your press releases. 

If you are interested in using creative PR writing to build your brand, or are looking to optimize your Web presence, contact ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta marketing agency for your free solutions consultation.  

  

 

 

 

 

 

Identifying Target Markets

Before beginning a marketing campaign it is important you first identify your target market. 

• Begin by determining why a customer would want to buy your product/service.

• Comprehensive market intelligence and research gathering is required to identify quantitative and qualitative patterns.
  

• Next, segment your overall market.

The process of identifying a target market it called market segmentation.  This is important because once you identify a niche using target segmentation you will be able to concentrate your efforts on targeted marketing to attract a specific consumer group.

 

Why segmentation is so important?

In marketing it is not uncommon to have a target market that would be comprised of various different demographics of people who can be profiled in to various different consumer groups.  For example, I had a client a few years ago that was an online division of a large regional bank.  Their goal was to get new clients to the bank and to have existing clients open up additional accounts.  If I had a saving account, I would have been encouraged to open a checking account and perhaps a certificate of deposit (c.d.) as well.

 

As you could probably imagine the target market for the online bank was a rather large group.  Their identified market was segmented into 5 consumer profiles.  These segments were based on age and income.  This meant that there were five different sets of marketing materials for any given campaign.  While the overall message may have been the same, the copy and images were different depending on who would be receiving the material.

 

Market Intelligence

Market research to gain intelligence on your consumers is vital to accurately determine whom your target is and what the best marketing strategy would be to reach them.  The process of gathering market research includes employing various techniques to collect, analyzes, and report data about potential consumer groups.

 

Segmentation

After the necessary market intelligence has been gathered you can then strategize the best approach to customize your advertising and promotional efforts for the desired result.  The campaign planning should include test market groups and test campaigns.  This is key for not only the long-term success of the marketing, but in order to be as cost effective as possible.  In the test programs the marketer should be able to identify what efforts will be successful and revise the strategy to best reach each consumer group.

 

For more information on identifying your target market contact ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta marketing agency, for your free solutions consultation.          

10 Internet Marketing Tips to Enhance your Business’s Online Presence

1. Boost Your Blog Buzz

There are reportedly more than 346 million people worldwide who read blogs (ComScore). But just having a blog doesn’t guarantee people are reading it.

• Register your blog with popular directories
• Have your newest blog posts appear on your LinkedIn Profile and Facebook status with links back to the blog
• Read top blogs in your industry, and then post comments with helpful information and links back to your own blog or Web site.

2. Social Media

Social media can be a great way to get the word out about your company or product. It helps to create exposure and interest from the community.

• Did you know Facebook has more than 200 million users? Facebook allows you to create free fan pages about your business.
• LinkedIn is a professional network that includes allowing companies to create profiles.
• Manage your social networking presence and engage in consistent participation with your connections. Nutshell Mail is a service that brings users a summary of their social network updates to their inbox in a single email delivered to them on their schedule.

3. Monitor Your Cyberspace Presence

We’ve all heard of “Google-ing” someone or something… Keep an active eye on what’s posted on the Internet about you and your business. Assume that your clients and prospects are in the know about what’s out there. Searching your name on Google and Twitter can tell you several important things:

• What people are saying about your business
• Whether your work is being used without your permission
• Whether someone else is using your personal or business name

If your reputation is in trouble and you’re finding negative or false information, you may need professional assistance to fix the problem. Evaluate if you need legal representation or public relations and press release solutions.

4. Be consistent with your online message and branding

Coordinate and integrate marketing communications tools within your business. By doing this, the business’s brand message will be consistent in all possibilities.

• Integrating communications helps eliminate confusion from the consumer and builds brand strength.
• All advertising media selections, creative designs, and public relations efforts should strive to match the message, media, and audience, so the right person sees and/or hears the advertisement or marketing piece and can recognize the business and its brand consistency.

5. Apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to your Web site

 SEO is a great way to increase your online revenue stream. SEO allows you to:

• Develop and arrange your site’s content and navigation to be fully optimized
• Drive more traffic to your Web site
• Maximize your Internet exposure

6. Enhance your site’s viewership with Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing

Before implementing your PPC campaign, research traffic patterns for keywords as well as the bid prices for those terms so you can effectively plan and budget your campaign.

• Track your best performing ads to determine what is leading to the highest volume of traffic to your Web site bringing revenue to your business.
• PPC can be an incredibly cost effective tool if properly managed. Consider hiring an expert to manage the campaign, design optimized landing pages for your ads, and track metrics.

7. Stay in front of your customers with Email Marketing Campaigns

Your businesses Email marketing campaigns should be representative of the brand and image of your company.

• Email campaigns allow you to stay in front of your prospects and clients.
• Email marketing solutions create an interactive experience with your customers.

8. Market on the Web

There are a many powerful free online tools that can serve to market your business on the Web. Here are a few to consider:

• Slide share – share presentations Tag your presentations and embed them on your blog or Web site 
• You Tube – share videos Consider filming and uploading your presentations. Post videos of you interviewing industry experts or feature client reviews of your business.
• flickr – share pictures It’s a great way to showcase your portfolio or share photos of your presentations.
• Delicious –share Web pages Social book marking service that allows you to save all your bookmarks online, then share them with other people.
• Amazon.com – share your opinion When you read a book in your field, review it on Amazon.

9. Increase your media exposure with electronic press releases and industry related articles

PR allows you to maximize your exposure in your business’s targeted markets. It also allows you to boost your Internet search rankings. Also, find out what stories reporters and editors are working on by using links like:

• Peter Shankman’s Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
• PitchRate.com

10. Be an Industry Expert

Answer questions you have knowledge in on sites like Yahoo Answers or LinkedIn Answers. Both rank extremely high with search engines and will increase traffic to your Web site.

For more information visit:  www.ALRMarketingSolutions.com

Cardinal Web Solutions and ALR Marketing Solutions Announce Strategic Partnership

Marketing Industry News:

ATLANTA, GA, January 21, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over the past year ALR Marketing Solutions has seen a huge demand from clients requesting Internet marketing solutions. The agency's owner, Allison Reinert states "Internet marketing can be an incredibly cost effective and affordable marketing tool for any size organization looking to drive revenue to their business." Through their partnership with Cardinal Web Solutions (an Atlanta SEO firm), who is currently ranked the #1 "SEO Company in Atlanta"

on Google, ALR Marketing Solutions' service offerings will now include:
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Pay-per-click Management
• Email Marketing Campaigns
• Electronic Press Release Distribution

Cardinal Web Solutions allows any size business to maintain a creative and dynamic presence online. "Internet marketing allows for highly quantifiable results, therefore giving the advertiser full control over each budgeted dollar," says Alex Membrillo, co-founder of Cardinal Web Solutions. "When someone searches online for a product or service, they will usually not make it past the first page of results. Companies as the top of the search results do significantly more business than those that are not." Cardinal Web Solutions also pairs Pay-per-click management with their Atlanta SEO programs to allow a business' online marketing campaigns to generate the best return-on-investment possible.

In addition to their new Internet marketing service offerings, ALR Marketing Solutions provides clients with: Strategic Planning, Market Intelligence and Research, Marketing Communications, and Creative Services. The professional team at ALR Marketing Solutions can provide market research based campaign planning for businesses in any industry. They can also implement all aspects of the marketing campaign, including both traditional and Internet marketing strategy. ALR Marketing Solutions delivers solutions to meet business's customized needs.

About Cardinal Web Solutions

Alex Membrillo and Stephen Popov, both alumni of Georgia State University, founded Cardinal Web Solutions with the belief that business owners deserved to know where each marketing dollar they spent was going. Cardinal Web Solutions sets themselves apart from other SEO companies by forming a partnership with their clients in which they assist their client in consistently maintaining a transparent and enduring online presence. Cardinal Web Solutions is also proactive in building a better community. They are partnered with Youth Enhancement Services, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the rights of children.

For more information visit: www.CardinalWebSolutions.com

About ALR Marketing Solutions

ALR Marketing Solutions is a results driven marketing consulting agency that offers customized marketing solutions geared to meet the needs of small to mid-sized businesses. ALR Marketing Solutions strives to deliver quality strategic marketing solutions to clients, and works hard to achieve the client's short-term needs and long-term business goals through superior marketing practices. Allison Reinert, a dedicated professional whose marketing experience includes corporate, agency, and non-profit organization work is the company's founder. Ms. Reinert is a graduate of Columbus State University's D. Abbott Turner College of Business.

For more information visit: www.ALRMarketingSolutions.com


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Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com

View the release at 24-7 Press Release.

Heads-up for Reference Groups

As individuals we often guide our behavior in a situation by our reference groups, these being the groups of people whose presumed perspectives or values are used as the basis for our behavior.  Keep in mind; this is a little different from “peer pressure”, namely because those in the reference group may not even be aware of their influence (thus no pressure exists).

 

Looking at me you, for example, one could say I have the following reference groups: Immediate family, extended family, friends (which could break down even further into hometown friends, college friends, neighborhood friends…), colleagues, etc.

 

Are all reference groups equal?  In most cases, they certainly are not.  Typically only one group serves as a person’s primary point of reference.

 

4 Criteria for Classifying Reference Groups:

1. Membership
2. Strength of social ties (closeness of members)
3. Type of contact (direct or indirect)
4. Attraction

Attraction is a tricky criterion to understand.  This is because it deals with desirability.  Attraction may be negative or positive.  Negative attraction to a group can lead to disassociative reference groups.  For example, if you don’t like your boss, then you may seek to differentiate your lifestyle outside of work from the boss’.  If he drives a Hummer, maybe you’ll stick to the sports car.  On the other hand, the Thanksgiving Day table reference group may be a very positive influence (assuming you like your family or value their opinions).

 

In marketing we never want to discount the influence of our consumers’ reference groups.  Oftentimes marketers will seek to tap into a market’s reference groups.  One notable way is through endorsements.  This is tapped into by finding the consumers’ “symbolic aspiration group.”  For example, there is a good reason why Lacoste selected Andy Roddick, currently the #1 male tennis player in the U.S. (ATP rankings), to wear their brand.  Andy’s attire, both on and off the court, can be influencing to not only his fans but also the general tennis community.

 

 
  

 

Market Intelligence, which should include Consumer Market Research and Consumer Profiling, is an essential for identifying the reference groups that may be influencing your market.  Ask yourself, who’s influencing your market?  If you don’t know the answer, find out!   

10 Tips for Effectively Choosing a Test Market

Test Markets are groups used to gauge the viability of a product or service in the mass market, typically prior to a wide-scale roll out of the product or marketing campaign. 

Test Markets can also be comprised of segments of people tracked during a campaign launch who are not marketed to using the same strategy as the remaining total population of the market. 

It is important to understanding what a Test Market is before exploring the strategic options for effectively choosing a Test Market.

1. The Test Market should have a likeness to the planned distribution outlet.

2. There should be a relative isolation from other geographic areas or profiled segments.

3. The Test Market should be a comprised of a representative population size.  Be aware that the Test Market is only a representation of the total market, and results of the test may show a distorted outcome.

4. Availability of advertising media and public relation: the Test Market must have a reasonable amount of exposure to promotional outlets used in the test.

5. There should be stability of year-round sales.

6. Dominant media outlets should be available (if applicable).

7. Freedom from unusual influences: this may include industry dominance from a competitor.

8. In addition, be aware of the competition on the market; test market launches provide competitors with an advanced warning of your intentions.

9. Suitability of the market segment is key.  Profit potential should be gauged based on the company’s resources to serve the segment.

10. Market Intelligence and analysis is instrumental for obtaining and reviewing the results of the test. Examples of what you should seek to determine are:

·        Buyer intentions

·        Demands of the market

·        Controllable and uncontrollable decision factors of the market

·        Evaluate the decision process

·        Sales force estimates

·        Impact of environmental variables on the market segment

·        Collect all relevant information and identify best alternatives (if applicable)

·        Strategic Planning, based on the results of the test, to determine how to best allocate resources needed to best achieve your campaign’s objectives.

 

The results of a Test Market campaign, if executed effectively, could serve as a great tool for determining the strategy for the full marketing launch.  It’s often a great idea to consult with a Marketing Agency before developing and launching your Test Market campaign.