![]() |
Advertising Resource Center |
|
|
Why Hire an Advertising/Marketing Consultant?
As a business owner, you have the option of taking several different approaches to handling your Marketing and Advertising. You may choose to handle the responsibility yourself, with the idea that no one understands your business quite the way you do.. You may also consider hiring a full time marketing manager or even assigning the tasks, as they arise, to someone already working within your organization. Consider this? When your business needs plumbing work do you do it yourself? Hire a plumber to be on staff full time? Or ask your accountant to handle it? Call in the Experts. Though some advertising and marketing ventures seems simple enough to be handled ''in house'', nothing is as costly as a marketing misfire. Not only may you be sending out the wrong messages, to the wrong markets, but also by the time you catch it, your budget may be in no shape to recover and redirect. The truth is, no one can do the job as effectively and efficiently as someone who lives and breathes the industry everyday. Plus, the added perk of consistent media contacts that will prove to be financially beneficial to your business. Seeing the forest and the trees. When you hire a consultant you hire an objective opinion, as well as a fresh point of view. Sometimes a business may lose perspective on itself by being too heavily immersed in the day-to-day operations, and lose itself in the big picture, missing the small details? or vice-versa. Sadly, sometimes a business's marketing will clearly reflect this. The president of a private jet company's focus is on the bells and whistles of his fleet. It's what he sees as important in his view of his business. Inevitably, his marketing may also focus on this portion of his business, ignoring what he is really selling to his potential clients: The feeling and the status of private jets. If you add another ball, technically it is juggling. If you, as a business owner, or an employee take on the added tasks of the marketing of the business, attention is being taken from other projects and responsibilities. Inescapably, focus and demands are bound to pull from one and take away from others until something falls to the floor. Consultants are dedicated to one, and only one, portion of your business. Their focus is committed, and they allow you to keep yours where it should be. The Gumby Factor. Consultants are very flexible. Immediately ready and available to take on assignments at a moment's notice. Accessibility to getting a new project off the ground is just a phone call away. On the other hand, trying to hire a new employee specifically to handle your marketing needs takes valuable time to places ads; conduct interviews and then sort through applicants, hoping to find the right person for the job. The M -Word Money. When you total up the actual cost of bringing on a new employee, you will most likely find that hiring a consultant is much more cost effective. The hourly rates may seem to favor a full time employee, but when you factor in employee benefits, training time, vacation/sick time, 401(k), the added overhead involved in situating a new employee, and the sheer fact that you may be paying full time wages for something that may not need full time attention, the cost effectiveness will fall in favor of a consultant. Which bring us to.... The C- Word Commitment. Hiring a full time employee is a commitment. And bringing on an employee to handle a special marketing project, or set up an initial marketing plan, may in the long run leave you scrambling to find a new project or position for that employee. Or worse yet, you find yourself paying a full time marketing director to do basic maintenance. Hiring a consultant requires no long-term commitment. When a consultant completes a project, they have the flexibility to move into whatever position you need them, from quarterly analysis, to basic maintenance, to completely out of the picture, but on the sidelines when you're ready to take a new step forward. "There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." -Franklin D. Roosevelt Mary Ellen Martelli
MORE RESOURCES: A bigger-than-expected drop in existing home sales and Ford's worst earnings report ever weighed on the market
The club-store chain warns earnings will fall short of estimates because of higher food and energy costs
To lower their overall default risk and protect profits, some card issuers may reduce your credit limit. Here are tips for keeping it steady
One pro believes a deal could be in the cards for casino operator MGM Mirage, whose big investors include Kirk Kerkorian and Dubai World
On deck: consumer confidence, GDP, employment costs, ISM manufacturing index, car sales, construction spending, and the employment report
CEO Steel says he has no plans to issue shares, but analysts say Wachovia may be forced to raise capital as its loan portfolio deteriorates
While healthy banks can benefit from naming rights, some money-losing firms with expensive deals—like Citigroup—could lose out
Despite boffo quarterly earnings and record Mac sales, Apple's announcement that margins will soon shrink had investors reeling
The bank's better-than-expected quarter bolsters arguments that it can manage the credit crisis. But analysts worry about more losses from its Countrywide unit
A reputed stronghold for investors, the drugmaking sector faces increasing risks: fewer prescriptions filled, patent expirations, and FDA rejections of new drugs
Given the biotech's promising pipeline, Roche's CEO may need to raise his $43.7 billion offer to buy out Genentech's minority investors
Price-earnings ratios are one way investors determine whether equity prices are cheap, expensive, or fairly valued. But are they the best way to gauge stocks?
On deck: leading indicators, home prices, home sales, durable goods orders, and a ton of earnings reports
The CPI's 1.1% June climb was higher than expected, but analysts also didn't anticipate the increase in U.S. industrial output
Surveys make it plain that the bad news about Britain's economy will only get worse in coming quarters, and that recession may not be far off
The 62,000 decline in U.S. nonfarm payrolls, along with a pop in weekly initial jobless claims, bolsters the case for recession
In a widely expected move, the European Central Bank raises its benchmark interest rate 25 basis points, citing medium-term inflation risks
Unemployment is rising, housing prices are plunging, and oil prices are sky-high. Yet the Fed has decided to stand pat.
From an economist's point of view, the "core" rate counts more than the "headline." But the Fed will have to pay attention to both
Nest egg looking a little fragile? Chances are you need to rethink your old investment tactics—and consider a few new approaches. Our Annual Retirement Guide can help
Retirees with plump nest eggs can be targets for unscrupulous financial advisers who rake in hefty fees with promises of huge returns
When planning for retirement, make sure you know how these rules could change your financial picture after age 70
Take these steps to protect your golden years: Cut expenses, consider refinancing, and make yourself indispensable at work
Uncle Sam wants laggard 401(k) account holders to beef up their savings by channeling contributions into diversified default investments
BusinessWeek's Special Report for baby boomers offers investing advice for those who expect to retire in the next 15 years
Unlike last summer, many heating oil companies are not offering prepayment plans. But you can lower your bills this winter if you act now
In a tough economic climate, many Americans are choosing to just walk away from their mortgages. Is that a good idea?
Some insight as to why Rob Arnott, investment guru and chairman of the advisory firm Research Affiliates, is still "The Bear"
Though rates have dropped dramatically, some online banks are offering as much as 3.5% for savings accounts. It pays to look around
Good ways to invest in the makers of dog food, coffee, eggs, gasoline, beer, and other everyday items whose prices are streaking skyward
As a result of the subprime mess, the market is drying up. Here are some tips for finding student loans at banks
Why the worst may be yet to come as forces battering the market gain strength. And the remedy coming from Congress? It's likely to fall short of the mark
Chicago-based Neumann Homes went bankrupt last November, leaving a trail of wreckage in its path. Its worst victims? Homeowners
A high salary goes only so far if the cost of living is even higher. If you want your dollar to go further, maybe it's time to relocate
By April, 2009, hundreds of thousands of option ARM mortgages will begin resetting, bringing on a fresh wave of foreclosures
For Enterprise Rent-A-Car, giving back is linked to the primary business. That means planting 50 million trees over 50 years, for starters
Philanthropic outfits increasingly are adopting PR programs to achieve their goals. Here's why some old PR objections are no longer valid
The Tap Project, the agency's first new campaign in 50-plus years, kicks off Mar. 22 to raise funds for clean drinking water in developing countries
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Use Pictures To Immediately Start Increasing The Response Rates Of Your Marketing There should only be one, over-riding reason why you're doing anything in your marketing.Know what that reason is?Of course! To increase the response rates of your sales promotions!Because that leads to. Creating a Winning Logo Creating a logo to get you noticed.When you're branding a company with a name, a colour scheme and a logo the logo is often not given enough care and attention. 2005 Super Bowl Ads... Winners and Losers Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the folks who consider themselves the always-pullin'-for-the-underdog type. The Art Of Fear Free Advertising Is fear of failure an issue when you commit valuable money in advertising?Well how about if I showed you a way to remove this fear and you know that you would be able to spend money advertising KNOWING you would get a return?Is that a valuable lesson?Course it is!So, how do you do it?The answer is testing!It's simple really.. How To Write Kick-Ass, Profit Pulling Adverts For Your Business? Doesn't that just grab you by the eyeballs and make you stop dead in your tracks? I mean it's a little harsh - grammatically speaking - but holy smokes, it does it have 'stopping power'.. The Not-So-Hidden Persuaders: The Power of The Media Upon Us All In 1957, a perspicacious young journalist from Pennsylvania named Vance Packard wrote a book called The Hidden Persuaders. It was meant to explain to the public at large why they buy the products they do and to warn them about the psychological aspects of consumer appeal that lie beneath the levels of consciousness. Promotional Vehicles It is difficult to miss a Hummer, but how many companies could afford to run one to promote their business? The answer is, of course, very few and it is doubtful whether GM's overgrown offspring would be the most suitable promotional vehicle for many of them. What then are the alternatives and how could businesses benefit from using a vehicle as an advertising medium?What is a promotional vehicle?A promotional vehicle is a car, truck or SUV with purpose-designed adhesive vinyl graphics applied to its exterior, promoting a business or one of its products or services. Improve Your Promotional Flyers And Improve Sales Admittedly, I have not seen your advertising flyer. Then again, I probably don't have to. Lamination of Signs I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination is even if you have only seen it in passing. Restaurant menus are a common example. 10 Simple Techniques To Make Your Ad Get Powerful Attention 1. Make your ad's keywords and phrases standoutby enlarging the text. Media, the Internet, Yellow Pages, and Your Business If you are reading this article, chances are you could use a little extra money. With the advent of the internet and the migration of advertising dollars from print to electronic (and this time, it's the real thing, I swear! Not one of those 1999 tech busts!. Advertising For The Long Haul and Not the Short Term Gains New Age Media Concepts issues its first article of many that will focus on the advertising and marketing industry. "If a young man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he's saying the right things to the right person and that's marketing. Push vs Pull Advertising Push vs. Pull Advertising - Understand the Consequences for your Product or ServiceYou will save yourself a considerable amount of time and money if you first determine your product's (or service's) suitability for "pull" and "push" advertising. Why People Fail in Mail Order Mail order is a very complicated business. Every phase must beplanned, analyzed and tested. What Does Your Business Card Say? Business cards are the most underutilized andmisunderstood marketing tool in business. Manypeople spend the bucks for cards and don't make aneffort to get them into the hands of those who canhire them or buy from them. Buying Radio? Read This and Dont Waste Your Money Pay close attention and make it work the best for you.No doubt you've listened to, and then quickly deleted, messages from account execs from your local radio stations. Should You Advertise on TV? When people discover my background in advertising,the questions flow. One of the most frequentquestions is "Should I advertise on TV?"I can't answer that questions until I ask anumber of questions first. Advertising - Does it Matter? When advertising, you need to sell your opportunity, your products and yourself. What sets you apart from everyone else? Maybe you produce a newsletter with a specific content where there is a demand from a particular group of people, or you promote your own special product that no one have not yet seen. Yellow Page Advertisers: Your Calls are Going to Decrease - Heres the Remedy Response rates to Yellow Page advertising are decliningThere's no getting around it, traditional Yellow Pages arein trouble. Fewer people use them every year. How To Get Big Sponsorship Money for Your Band, Tour, Event or Production Touring is a bands greatest opportunity for success. But, touring can be very expensive. |