Many companies in the business-to-business world sell their products through networks of outside dealers, independent distributors, or similar arrangements. While those arrangements make it possible for even a small company to quickly gain a broad reach, they can also reduce the control the company has over its image and messages. Our marketing agency works with a [...]
One of the first metrics business owners learn about is return on investment, or ROI. Earning the highest possible ROI is critical when running a business. You make investments with the expectation that you’ll have something to show for them. So how's the ROI on your investment in marketing and advertising? If you’re like most [...]
For many companies, participation in trade shows devours a healthy portion of the total marketing budget. But as with so many other aspects of business, what matters isn't how much you spend -- it's how intelligently you spend it. After each year’s show, many companies conclude that they could have had better results if only [...]
The graphic symbol representing your company has been in place since the early 1960s, when your great-uncle started the business, and your new advertising firm insists that it has to be replaced. You want to trust their counsel, but you're just not sure. "You need a new logo" is one of the first things companies often [...]
As the world becomes smaller, the opportunities for companies to do business overseas get bigger. But accessing other markets demands more than a perfunctory knowledge of geography and a phrase book. Cutting corners can trip up the most well-intentioned efforts. Our marketing agency has helped clients do business globally for years, and we've learned many lessons [...]
A few years ago, one of our agency's longtime clients asked us to develop a coffee-table book celebrating their company's centennial. In bringing that project to fruition, I learned a lot about the company, but learned even more about running a business. The company is Western States Manufacturing, a Cincinnati-area maker of centrifugal devices for [...]
