Whether over drinks, dinner or a round of golf, entertaining important clients is a great way to deepen connections, build rapport, develop loyalty and finalize the details on valuable business contracts.  In a small or growing business, budgets are often tight, but that doesn’t mean you are relegated to in-house coffee or day old doughnuts to try and swoon your big clients.

Here are some ideas on how to make your partners feel a little bit spoiled while getting the most out of your limited entertainment budget:

1.  Evaluate your guest list

• Repeat business is key to any successful company and treating your best clients well both on and off the playing field is an excellent strategy to ensure repeat business.  Entertaining offers a relaxed way to get to know your top clients personally, as well as getting the inside scoop on what problems your client may be facing or their plans for future development.

• When budgets are tight, it’s important to be selective with your invitations to ensure you are not only getting the most out of your dollar, but that you are allowing for quality interaction between yourself and your partner.  Focus on clients who have the greatest potential for bringing in new business, or clients whose orders tend to be most profitable.  It is also important to choose member(s) of your client team carefully:  you want to engage with key decision makers and those who have a hand in upcoming corporate developments.

2.  Business dining on a budget

• Think beyond the standard business dinner to avoid spending your quarterly entertainment budget on just a few meals.  By focusing your client dining experiences on early or mid-day endeavors, you will generally avoid costly alcohol consumption beyond a single glass of wine per attendee, which will keep you conversation more clear, and your budgets in check.

• Breakfast, even in a fine hotel, is often a rather affordable option.  Not only do you provide a high-end dining environment, but mornings are often when people have the freshest ideas, they rarely face difficulty before the first cup of morning coffee, and both you and your client are freed up for the rest of day to conduct regular business.
• Afternoon tea at a hotel or up-scale teashop can be a very civilized and enjoyable way to discuss business.  This can serve to revitalize ideas in the afternoon, and your client will enjoy the novelty of something other than a traditional business lunch

3. Add the personal touch

• Attention to small details, even with something as simple as a business lunch, can speak volumes about the care you provide your clients in your business relationship.  Get to know your clients to make your entertainment choices count and ensure your money is spent only on activities they are sure to enjoy.  Although golf is a corporate standard, perhaps your client would prefer a wine tasting, or has an interest in architecture or museums.  Cater to your client and potentially save on costly endeavors which would go unappreciated

• Conduct a personal tour of your city for out of town guests.  This can serve as entertainment and education for clients who may be unfamiliar with the area, and provide you the opportunity to hi-light the impact your business has on the community.  By taking the time to conduct the tour yourself, you add a personal touch to the event and incur minimal cost beyond a quarter tank of gas and a light lunch.

Reaping the rewards of corporate entertaining can be achieved even on the most scant budget.  For more creative ideas contact Imaginis Marketing Inc and allow to share our successes in client engagement.

The decision to outsource a marketing function can be both strategic and tactical, especially if your company has a limited selling cycle due to seasonality and/or weather conditions.  Many companies have a philosophy of outsourcing any activity that is not core to their business, and a third party marketing agency can champion your brand to the core consumer and make the most of your limited marketing opportunities.

Here’s how a third party Marketing Agency can assist your seasonal brand:

• Maximize your resources
  • Many companies find themselves strapped for marketing resources when the sales/production cycle is at its’ peak.  This is a critical time for any company, especially those who rely on specific seasonality to boost sales and meet their annual targets.  By engaging a third party agency to oversee Marketing initiatives, your internal resources will be freed up to focus on what they do best in sales, production and business development.

• You lack the specific expertise to meet your Marketing needs
  • Effective marketing programs require a wide range of expertise including strategists, analysts, communications professionals, event organizers, e-commerce experts, advertising specialists and copywriters.  Many product-driven companies, B2B companies and consumer products companies do not have the people with the requisite skill sets to accomplish effective marketing campaigns.  In a truncated sales cycle your marketing efforts must be concise, focused and efficient.  A third party Marketing Agency can help you connect with your consumer by understanding them – their demographics, preferences and buying criteria.

• You require specific technology
  • In this high-tech age, marketing campaigns are notoriously technology driven and many companies lack the resources or band-width to ensure that the Marketing team’s initiatives don’t fall to the bottom of the IT department’s priority list.  Partnering with a Marketing Agency can allow your company to gain access to an integrated, technology-rich set of marketing applications at a much lower cost than developing these platforms internally.

• Benchmark your company against Best Practices
  • Whether you choose to outsource a portion of your Marketing strategy, such as public relations, or decide to engage a partner to facilitate all Marketing operations, you will certainly be entrusting your initiatives to a company that has done it before.  The experience gained by supporting several companies is key to deriving best practices, not only in the form of employees, but in data models, process flows, time management and budget tracking.  Building platforms from scratch in-house is possible, but it takes time – which may not be available during a seasonal sales cycle.  Engaging an expert provides immediate access to tenured experts who can analyze your Marketing needs and execute a plan effectively and efficiently.

Make the most of your brand this season by ensuring your Marketing initiatives connect with your target demographic and speak to the strengths of your brand.  At Imaginis Marketing Inc we can make the best of your sales season and translate it into improved brand awareness, increased market share and elevate your sales channel to the next level.  Is there a special project you are considering that we can assist with?

If you are a business owner or manager, you know that the change of seasons brings with it numerous opportunities to attract new customers, reinforce your brand, refresh your marketing collateral and be creative.  Here are a few marketing ideas to get you in the mood and to help your business bloom.

Tap into Earth Day – April 22^nd, 2012

• In many communities the Earth Day initiative has expanded to become Earth Week.  Take part in this powerful movement by involving your company in a green charity to give back to the community and create a positive footprint for your brand.  Collect funds for an environmental initiative, designate portions of your sales to benefit an organization or sponsor a community group in your area.  There are all kinds of environmentally friendly causes that make it easy for your company to help, and you’ll benefit from the positive publicity.

Promote growth with Spring seeds

• Capitalize on the growth perspective of Spring by tying in promotions that utilize seeds.  With the plethora of seeded paper product available, you can find an appropriate tie in to your industry in a clever and unique way.  Give out plant-able bookmarks or attach your business card to a tree seed tent card to hand out to prospects.  Let your customers know you look forward to growing your relationship with customized flower and plant stakes or mail out branded seed packets to new leads.

Create a theme that ties into a Spring sport

•  Celebrate the start of a new sporting season and entice your customers by creating a promotion centred around your favourite sport; NHL play-offs and the baseball season both begin in April, and Major League Soccer kicks off in March.  If mainstream professional sports are beyond your reach, think about schools, extramural sports teams, college teams, booster clubs etc.  Ensure your theme is incorporated into all aspects of your marketing and consumer facing collateral for a pre-determined period of time and create an annual event.  Your customers will look forward to this initiative and you will have taken an additional step towards developing customer loyalty from year to year.

Have a Spring cleaning event

• Give away sample cleaning supplies or some other perk which relate to your business platforms or readying the home for spring.  Tip sheets on how to de-clutter, data cleaning disks, screen cleaners, branded cleaning cloths or solutions, customized plastic gloves or sponges all make easy, inexpensive giveaways.  You could even promote an in-store or on-line contest for a month of professional cleaning services for the office or home

Spring is the time for growth.  At Imaginis Marketing Inc we can show you how to maximize the arrival of spring and drive brand awareness, increase your market share and elevate your sales channel to the next level.

Easter and Passover celebrations begin on Friday, so whether you are cracking chocolate eggs, eating warm, buttered hot cross buns or breaking matzos at your Seder meal this weekend, we hope you have time to re-connect with family and friends.  Why not try taking part in an Easter egg hunt or organize your own? Check out these local listings for a ton of egg-citing things to do.

People buy products and services from companies they know and trust and continue to refer those companies to friends and associates.  By investing time and resources into community initiatives you create awareness about your brand, but more importantly develop relationships with influential individuals within your community who may become brand advocates for you in the future

Here are some tips for success when engaging your local community

Invest in your Community

• Local events are an important part of bringing a community together, and allow your brand to connect on a personal level to the key decision makers and influential members of your community.  Proactive event participation can greatly enhance your company’s profile in your community
• There are many different ways to get involved, such as being an exhibitor at a major annual event, becoming a sponsor at an event tied directly to your industry, become a speaker or presenter at someone else’s event or host your own community appreciation event
• Get to know your neighbours – think about hosting a coffee morning or wine & cheese evening and invite local business owners to drop by.  It’s a great way to introduce yourself and widen your pool of contacts.  Who knows what it could lead to?

Tap into your current set of customers

• One of the best ways to increase local business is to reach out to your existing customer base.  Create a forum which allows your customer to easily communicate what they appreciate about your service, why they have referred business to you in the past, and even what you can do to improve.  Consider organizing an advisory board with some of your best clients – it’s an excellent way to get further insight into your customer’s mindset, while showing appreciation for their loyalty and value in their opinions

Seek out community leaders

• Local communities have leaders, influencers and taste-makers.  It may be a real estate agent who has their finger on the pulse of the community, a long standing member of a community improvement group or the local health practitioner.  These key influencers, along with their network of contacts, may represent a plethora of new business opportunities.  Get to know them, so they can get to know you and better understand the services your company can provide

Get involved in the local school system

• Whether you have children or not, becoming involved with the local education system is an excellent way to meet influential families in your community.  Offer to speak at a high school event about a topic relevant to your industry or career day initiative, or sponsor a car wash or recycling drive to assist in raising money for a student cause.  Associating your company with the positive virtues of hard work, dedication and education is an excellent way to enhance your local image

Creating awareness and cultivating a positive reputation amongst your local community is vital to the success of any brand.  Allow the experts at Imaginis Marketing Inc to create a community engagement platform for your company and gain customer loyalty, increased brand exposure and improved referral rates.

Collect the Back Story

• Each back story is different, but generally consists of any and all information relevant to the emergence, development and growth of the brand.  This should include assessment of the brand’s culture, its focal solution to the industry, core competencies, as well as opportunities and obstacles it faces in the marketplace.

Characterize the Brand

• To identify your brand’s importance, focus on the brand’s persona first and the prospective consumer second.  Begin with a thorough understanding of the brand’s value and belief system and provide specific examples of how/when the brand has executed on these platforms.  Identify the brand’s strengths, as well as the limitations and be realistic – you don’t want to over-sell your brand’s efficacies and be unable to deliver to your consumers.  For example, a value-priced hotel chain should focus on the platforms of cleanliness, value for money and comfort, but not try to associate itself with luxury.

Characterize the Consumer

• Once the brand is characterized, the target consumer can be identified.  Look to see what functional or emotional needs are being left unfulfilled in the marketplace and the opportunities your brand has to maximize on these voids.  By understanding the host of solutions your brand can provide, you are able to better identify those whom require your services.

Connect the Characters

• Once the two story characters – the brand, and the consumer – are understood, it’s time to look for a fit between them.  In the short term this includes understanding how the brand satisfies a functional need to the consumer and creating an effortless mode of conversation between them.  Through the process of conversation, it is important to spark a long-term relationship that is founded in shared values, information and insight into the marketplace.

Your brand story is an important platform to ensure your consumer understands your importance in the marketplace and can connect to your brand platform.  At Imaginis we make brand stories come to life, get in touch with us and we’ll work with you to help your own story evolve.

Centuries on, modern day St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have become synonymous with ‘the craic’ – an excuse to enjoy a good drink and get together with friends and family – green clothing optional.  Despite it being a world-wide party, there are only two places in the world (aside from Ireland and Northern Ireland) where St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday. One is right here in Canada; the province of Newfoundland & Labrador, and thanks to the influx of Irish Catholic immigrants who fled religious persecution on neighbouring islands during the 1600s, the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat is the other.  On the other ‘Emerald Isle’ they celebrate Caribbean style; a pint of Guinness in one hand and rum punch in the other.

Initiating a Content Marketing strategy can enhance your brand, convert sales or initiate a sales process by creating a buzz around your products and services and engaging your stakeholders more meaningfully.  Here are some ways to ensure your content marketing campaign remains fresh, on point and diverse:

Curate your materials

• Content Marketing is about creating a resource for your readers to learn more about your products and services and the industry in general.  It may seem counter-intuitive to refer to other sources on your collateral, but by sharing information and creating a platform for learning, you are establishing your site and your brand, as industry leaders.  Compile a list of top resources relating to your material and use them as references for your postings.  Your readers will continue to utilize your website/blog/email as their base for useful content and view your company as an expert source.

Ask your readers

• Content Marketing should engage your readers.  Your clients, readers, partners and associates each have areas of expertise or are looking for guidance in specific areas of your business.  Ask your readers what they wish to learn about from your site or ask them a question to get some feedback.  In doing so (and of course ensuring you follow up on their request!) you not only build trust, but you provide a useful medium for your audience to return to, thus creating strong brand awareness and product loyalty.

Repurpose your developed content to extend market impact

• Stop trying to re-invent the wheel each month.  Instead create one piece of content for an activity or period and re-edit it for to be used in different communication channels.  Taking a new product release as an example, start with the creation an in-depth press release announcing the launch and the product.  The utilize the press release as the foundation for spin-off content – for example by creating a drip email initiative which highlights various aspects of the release and targets different market segments.  By wordsmithing each email and creating links to other relevant content, blog postings can be created from each email, which can be consolidated to produce a capabilities brochure for mass distribution.

Create content without creating

• Writing content is not always about coming up with something completely new.  Some of the best blog posts come from your own corporate experience.  These can include meaningful history from your company such as best-case studies or even worst-case studies which impart lessons learned and insight into mitigating issues.  Sharing your successes, writing about your biggest challenges, or incorporating product reviews and insights into industry related services can all provide excellent sources for content.

Content Marketing campaigns require a consistent level of effort, but by listening to your readers, sharing your experiences and managing your resources wisely, this powerful vehicle can lead to increased market share, lead generation, increased sales and meaningful engagement with your target audience.  Contact us at Imaginis if you need guidance navigating through the options

It is a common assumption that Content Marketing is synonymous with copywriting, and whilst sharp writing is certainly a key component of effective Content Marketing, it is a much more meaningful way to communicate with consumers.  When trying to determine the various aspects of Content Marketing, keep in mind these three areas:

Convey valuable information

• Content Marketing involves the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases through a variety of media outlets.  By creating a valued source of information, existing and potential consumers gain insight into your company – viewing you as experts in the field – which in turn builds trust and creates customer loyalty.  The motivation behind content marketing is the belief that educating the customer results in the brand’s recognition as a thought leader and industry expert.

Be creative and engaging

• By tapping into the media platforms your customers enjoy consulting, Content Marketing allows your messages to be viewed as valued sources of help and not advertisements.  Content Marketing platforms should be entertaining and informative to your customer, allowing the education process to be engaging and something your audience can get involved in.  Content Marketing products frequently take the form of custom magazines, print or online newsletters, digital content, websites, micro-sites, white  papers, webcasts/webinars, podcasts, video portals or series, round tables, emails or events.

Be consistent and up to date

• In order to reap the benefits of an effective Content Marketing campaign, information cannot remain stagnant.  One of the main reasons Content Marketing is so effective is that it continuously inspires the audience to return to the source of information thereby retaining reader attention and driving profitable consumer action.  By including industry news, updated data, informative stories about emerging developments and examples of successfully executed projects in the industry, your Content Marketing platform will establish your company as trusted experts and create a loyal following.

An effective content marketing program can take some time to produce, but the results will be beneficial; helping you to secure new business, drive sales and improve customer retention.  If you are interested in exploring how content marketing can work for your business, then let us share the burden and build a custom content marketing program for your company.

It was until Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1382 piece Parlement of Foules, that we find the first modern day reference to Valentine’s Day.  Even Shakespeare’s Ophelia in Hamlet talks of the day.  ’Fancy’ Valentines made with real lace and ribbons, containing self-composed romantic verse, became popular in the UK from the early 1800s.  As postage rates dropped, the popularity of sending Valentine’s soared and factories began mass producing Valentines with paper lace and printed verse.  The fashion quickly crossed the Atlantic; Esther Howland sold and distributed the first paper lace Valentine’s in the US in 1847 from her father’s stationery store.

Fast forward more than 150 years, and today’s retailers and restaurateurs have been quick to add chocolates, roses, diamonds and candlelit dinners to the list of Valentines must-haves.

So what would you prefer; a handmade back-to-basics card with an original piece of romantic verse, or flowers delivered to your door and dinner à deux at the fanciest spot in town? What’s the best Valentine’s Day you have had? We’d love to hear.