A Business to Business Marketing Manual Module 3 - ZCorum

Marketing Your Services as an MSO

MSO Marketing Manual 2015

Table of Contents

Creating a Corporate Identity ................................................................................................................. 2 Defining your Purpose........................................................................................................................ 2 Creating a Corporate Logo ................................................................................................................. 2

Creating a Marketing Plan ..................................................................................................................... 3 Elements of the Marketing Plan.......................................................................................................... 3 Situation Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 3 Marketing Plan ................................................................................................................................... 6

Advertising............................................................................................................................................. 7 Creating Effective Advertisements...................................................................................................... 7 Media Tactics ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Personalized Marketing Communications ............................................................................................ 12 Methods of Message Delivery .......................................................................................................... 12 E-mail Campaigns ............................................................................................................................ 12 Bill Inserts ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Direct Mail ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Telemarketing .................................................................................................................................. 16 Premiums......................................................................................................................................... 16

Internet Advertising Methods ............................................................................................................... 17 Driving Traffic to Your Web Site ....................................................................................................... 18 Search-based Advertising ................................................................................................................ 19

Public Relations ................................................................................................................................... 20 Writing Effective Press Releases...................................................................................................... 20 Hosting Special Events .................................................................................................................... 22 Sponsoring Charitable Events .......................................................................................................... 23 Public Speaking Engagements......................................................................................................... 23 Creating a Newsletter....................................................................................................................... 25 Get on Your Community Welcome Wagon ....................................................................................... 26 Creating Promotions......................................................................................................................... 26

Building Relationships with Business Partners..................................................................................... 29 Retail Distribution Relationships ....................................................................................................... 29

Referral Programs ............................................................................................................................... 29 APPENDIX A ? Samples ..................................................................................................................... 31 APPENDIX B - More Marketing Resources.......................................................................................... 32

American Marketing Association (AMA) ........................................................................................... 32 Direct Marketing Association (DMA) ................................................................................................. 32 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) ....................................................................................... 32 SBA Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)....................................................................... 32 APPENDIX C ? Sample Press Release ............................................................................................... 33

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MSO Marketing Manual 2015

Creating a Corporate Identity

In a world where communication is instantaneous and media-rich, it can be difficult to make your company stand out in the crowd. Developing a corporate identity that differentiates you from your competitors is essential.

So what exactly is a corporate identity? It is the set of documents, images and other materials that influences consumers' perceptions of your company or brand. Some basic elements of a corporate identity include your corporate purpose or mission, your corporate logo, stationery designs and letterhead and business cards.

Defining your Purpose

Before you can convey your identity to consumers, you need a deep understanding of your company's purpose. Why do you exist? What values govern your company and differentiate you from others in the industry? What are your basic business philosophies?

The mission statement of a firm describes the scope of the firm and its dominant emphasis and values. The purpose (or mission) of an organization is a function of five elements: (1) the history of the organization; (2) the current preferences of the management and/or owners; (3) environmental considerations; (4) the resources of the organization; and (5) the distinctive competencies of the organization. Your mission statement should be as direct and focused as possible, and it should leave the reader with a clear picture of what your business is all about.

A typical mission statement is four sentences or less and should be drafted with the help of leaders in your company. A good way to start the brainstorming process is to ask each member of the company or management team to explain what the company is about in 30 seconds or less.

Once you've collected ideas, pick out the characteristics or beliefs that make your company unique and best defines how you want to be perceived by consumers. These characteristics and beliefs can then be translated into your mission statement.

Creating a Corporate Logo

The first order of business in creating your logo is to draft a few brief creative statements to help the logo designer understand the visual messages you want to convey in your image. These statements should include:

An overview of your company, its mission statement and its products and services Who your target audience is and what is important to them Information about how you want your target audience to respond to your new image Characteristics that differentiate you from your competitors A targeted message (just a few words) that describes your ideal logo

Logo designers can brainstorm creative concepts for the logo. The goal should be to create a credible and compelling visual message that will resonate and reinforce your company to your target audience.

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MSO Marketing Manual 2015

There are many design firms and marketing agencies dedicated to helping businesses build a corporate identity. Ask your local Chamber of Commerce for a referral to a reputable agency or contact the ZCorum marketing team for assistance.

Creating a Marketing Plan

All businesses, no matter their size or the industry they operate in, need a formal marketing plan.

Depending on the range of products and services you sell, your marketing plan may be just a few pages or several hundred pages, including supporting materials. A single business may have several marketing plans or strategies, one for each product or service that business sells.

A marketing plan can include an analysis of the current marketing situation, opportunities and threats analysis, marketing objectives, marketing strategy, action programs. In general, a formalized written marketing plan is drafted once a year or prior to the launch of a new product. The marketing planning process begins with brainstorming and concludes with the drafting of a marketing plan. The purpose of the marketing plan is to chart a course for achieving the firm's goals and objectives for marketing and/or sales.

There are several reasons an organization needs a marketing plan:

To provide greater discipline in the planning process To provide strategic direction for an organization, business unit or specific product To provide an action plan for marketing-related activities To request a budget To request allocation of internal resources To communicate marketing goals and processes with other departments

The marketing plan is also intended to provide an overview of your customer base and target market, any external opportunities or threats facing the organization. The plan will also include a summary of how your company and its products measure up to your competitors, your current business goals and the standard by which your success will be measured.

Elements of the Marketing Plan

There are two basic elements of a thorough marketing plan document: the situation analysis and the marketing plan itself.

Situation Analysis

The situation analysis is a research-based document and its purpose is to describe and analyze the environment in which your business operates. This element is necessary because it provides the rationale for the strategic decisions to be made in the marketing plan. The components of a typical situation analysis are outlined below.

Macro Environment

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MSO Marketing Manual 2015

This type of information is readily available through government sources, census information and business publications. This section should present facts about the economic, demographic, cultural, technological and political climate your business operates in. This section should also address what impact each of these forces may have on your business.

Market

This section contains information on the specific industry or industries you are involved in and the boundaries of your geographic market area. You should also begin to document the other influencers in your industry ? not just your competitors, but also the equipment and service suppliers and any governing bodies that are involved in monitoring your industry. You do not control these factors, but they can influence your industry and affect your business.

You should also describe the size of your market, the rate of growth or decline over time, overall trends in your market and your company's market share relative to your competitors. This information is available in trade publications, public filings and from research firms that track your industry.

Internal Trends

This section summarizes the internal data from your company's sales and financial records. This section should also detail any seasonal changes in your sales cycle, as well as sales forecasts and projections for a 3 to 5 year period (or shorter, depending on how quickly your market or industry changes).

Products and Services

The products and services section details your offerings in the marketplace. This section lists the strengths and weaknesses of your current product lineup and summarizes any new products you are considering offering. If new products are included, be sure to explain how they will be differentiated from your competitor's products.

Competition

This section names all your key competitors in the marketplace. Analyzing competitors that are the most successful may also help generate ideas to help your organization compete more effectively.

Customers Served

This section is intended to give an overview of your customers or subscribers. Define how they are segmented based on common characteristics. For example, you may

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