Maximize Your Exposure During a Hectic Time!

Not sure how to go about getting some good publicity for your company during this hectic season? The holidays are the perfect time to share your holiday spirit.

Charitable Donations
Organize a charitable gift drive with staff. There are larger organizations such as Toys for Tots, but there are also many smaller ones in your area. Find a place specific to the market you serve that doesn't receive a lot of assistance, such as a battered women's shelter or a local church. Take photographs of the staff bringing in their gifts to work and be sure to arrange a photo opportunity with the place of donation.

Volunteering
If your employees are willing, encourage volunteerism within the community. Be ready to document your volunteer activities and get plenty of "in action" photographs of you and your staff. Tasks such as painting a house, planting a garden, building a home, etc., are priceless. If your work flow allows, consider offering time off from work as a trade for volunteering for a day.

Toot Your Staff"s Horn
If you have staff members who are already volunteering, you may not have to leave your own office. Don't forget to ask your staff what they do to participate within the community. Are a group of them participating in a special run/walk for charity? You may only need to ask to receive photographs and a story, many times a very personal one.

Now that you have your photographs and your story, you're ready to send it to your local media. Pick up local magazines around the community and decide which will give you the most reach for your member or customer base. Inside the publication you'll want to find the community editor, or if it's a very small publication, there may only be one editor. Contact the editor to pitch your story. If you don't have success with the first paper, keep trying. Persistence is key.

If you need a simple press release for a holiday event or if you need a PR plan for the next year, contact Avant Garde today!

How to Create a Budget that's Focused on the Future

It's that time of year again. It's time to create your budget for 2008. Below are a few tips to assist you in making sure your budget is aligned for the future.

Technology
With the advent of the Podcasts, webinars, iPhones, etc., it's no surprise that technology should be at the forefront of your budget. If you aren't already, then you should start allocating on average ten percent of your budget each year towards new technology. This can be used for web development, new streamlined housekeeping/productivity software, or perhaps a new product that helps you better penetrate your market.

Extended Markets
Occasionally your board or senior management may make plans to market to an entirely new target audience next year, without allocating additional funds. As a general rule of thumb, new target markets require adding a minimum of 30 percent to your existing budget. If you are having trouble selling the idea to senior management or your board, show them real world examples of successes and failures to try to appropriate funding.

Benchmarking
If you're just starting your marketing efforts, or want to see how you are doing in correlation with peers in your industry, benchmark. Due your homework and find out what your peer groups are spending per customer. Better yet, find an organization that is doing well and use their sales figures as a benchmark. Above all, don't reinvent the wheel--look for a non-competitive company to ask what they are doing and if they have any tips for you.

Now you're ready to get started on your budget for 2008. Remember, if you need some great new marketing ideas, budget justification/research or help with next year's strategic plan, contact Avant Garde today!