Archive for November, 2010

The survey says …

November 24th, 2010, by Sue

Thanks to all of you who participated in our online survey earlier this year. As you may recall, the question posed was “What is your biggest marketing challenge in 2010?” The results … while definitely pointing to some challenging issues … were not terribly surprising.

Nearly 30% of you responded that achieving higher goals with fewer resources was your biggest challenge this year. We wish we had better news, but indications are you’ll continue to face that challenge into 2011.

One solution to consider is outsourcing. One of our clients chose to leverage her limited FTE by hiring program managers instead of hiring fewer program managers plus production people. That approach severely limits capacity. Our client’s approach gives her the ability to hire all program managers and outsource production. This enables her team to manage more programs than those who split their resources, and get more robust results.

Outsourcing can be very successful, but you need to choose your outsourcing partner carefully. Notice we don’t use the term vendor … for a truly successful match-up, you’ll want a company that thinks of itself as your partner rather than simply another vendor. An outsourcing checklist can help you choose that right partner.

A large percentage of you indicated that defining the right marketing message for customer segments was your biggest challenge. According to Target Marketing magazine, one way to meet this challenge is to take advantage of the fluidness of email marketing.

“The idea of focused messaging isn’t new; we all know that a good message is one that takes into account the customer’s needs and translates those needs into the right offer to the right person at the right time.” Writes Target Marketing. Read more here.

Another way is by implementing voice-of-the-customer relationship marketing to gain results. Read more here.

So, what will 2011 bring? Have your challenges changed in the past 6 months? Take the quick survey again and we’ll compare results.

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Company News: November

November 14th, 2010, by Sue

Napoleon Dynamite Visits SMCO

There’s something you may not know about Sherri May … first, she’s an actual person, and second, she has a special place in her heart for Napoleon Dynamite. That second tidbit of information was all our staff needed to cook up a special birthday present … a surprise visit by the man himself.

Sherri May and Napolean Dynamite

Chase Our Shadow

SMCO recently participated in the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) shadow day by hosting our “shadow” Chase Alyeshmerni, a student studying at ASU. His excitement and willingness to learn made it a great experience for all involved. Click here to learn more about AMA.

SMCO Debuts Time-of-Life Financial Education Series

SMCO is offering a customizable financial education series that highlights specific actions and goals for people at various life stages. The series is geared toward mid-sized banks and credit unions and can be customized with their company name and logo. The guides come with a leaders guide for managers to fully engage sales staff. For more information about the Financial LifeTimes education series, email Sherri or call 602.547.7020 x101.

Going Green

Stay tuned for more information about how we’re going green in a big way.

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Fun Ways to Go Green For the Holidays

November 5th, 2010, by Marta

The weather is changing which means the holidays are just around the corner. It can be an overwhelming time, and with the economy dictating how and where most of us will spend our holiday budget, it may be a bit more stressful this season. Here are some simple tips that not only will put a green spin on your holidays, but will reduce your carbon footprint as you go on your merry way:

1. The Best Things in Life… Why not explore your creative side and make your gifts? Not only is it less expensive, it’s also better for the environment. There are plenty of websites offering do-it-yourself crafts for gift making which can be fun, and because you made it yourself, the giftee will feel extra special!

For example, you can make a holiday card that converts into an ornament. Create your own by using the template on FamilyFun.com. Another idea, which will surely save postage costs, is to consider an e-card this season. I enjoy using JibJab.com. They have plenty of themes you can choose from and it’s simple to upload photos. You’ll end up with a fun video, like one of your loved ones dancing around in a holiday elf “get-up,” and it can easily be shared with everyone on your list through email. (It’s even more fun if you turn your co-workers into elves. See the video below).

2. Reduce, Reuse Most of us receive a great number of holiday cards every year. By reusing old cards as decorations or gifts, you not only reduce your carbon footprint, you may reduce your holiday spending costs. By reusing and recycling materials you already have, you can create beautiful handmade ornaments and gifts.

3. Green Holiday Alternatives Consider natural resources for decorating like pine cones or fresh fruit. Choose fresh wreaths and pesticide-free trees trimmed with energy-slashing LED lights, which save 85-90% energy and can last up to 200,000 hours. Then, once the holidays are over, log-on to earth911.com to find out where you can have your tree mulched.

Ultimately, remember the holidays are not about the gifts, errands or trimmings, they are about appreciating family and friends and the blessings in your life. And Mother Nature should be considered one of those blessings, so let’s all do our part, and keep it that way.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

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