Marketing Archives - Page 3 of 3

August 12, 2019

Non-traditional cures for summertime marketing blues

Reaching people by traditional media in the summer can be difficult. Your audience may be on vacation or enjoying the outdoors near home but away from their screens and mailboxes. Fortunately, there’s still time to reach them via some non-traditional outdoor advertising. Whether at the shore or the ballpark you’ve certainly noticed some creative skywriting, banners, blimps, etc. vying for your attention. The question is, are they worth the investment? They must be paying off for someone. Here’s what we know. Blimps If you want a modern airship like one of the 246-foot Goodyear Blimps, be prepared to shell out $21 million. Most advertisers simply rent a blimp from AirSign that gives them a flying 128-foot billboard with a price range of $200k to $400k per event. Mind you, these are piloted airships with custom skins that are typically reserved for big-budget brands. The return? Besides undeniable visibility that you can’t turn...

July 17, 2019

in Marketing

by Patricia Uhrich

Taking cues from nature to give marketing a boost

Continuing along the “green” path established in our previous post, Tapping into Conscious Consumerism?, we’ve been looking into the ways in which the natural world influences marketing. Engineers have long been exploring biomimicry to advance technology and develop new products. Velcro is one of the earliest examples. It was created when a Swiss electrical engineer looked into how seeds clung to his clothing and his dog when he walked in the woods. More recently, scientists have been researching mother nature’s DNA molecules as an incredibly compact and stable source of massive data storage. In the marketing world, we have been tapping nature, often unknowingly, through rules that have developed over time. Of course, there’s always room to learn more… We are all flower children Humans are not unlike bees and butterflies when it comes to bright colors. The plants apparently know this, using yellows, blues, pinks, and purples to stand out from the background...

May 21, 2019

in Marketing

by Beth Harvath

And the Direct Marketer of the Year award goes to….

As our DCI crew boarded the Spirit of Philadelphia for the Philly DMA Benny Awards, they knew it would be an unforgettable voyage. That’s because our very own captain, Nick Lanzi, was about to be honored as Direct Marketer of the Year for 2019! If you know Nick, then this award is not a huge surprise. If not, here are three things you need to know about DCI’s founder and president: His entrepreneurial boldness has propelled DCI from a basement home office in 1995 to one of the fastest growing companies in the Greater Philadelphia Area. (Wharton Small Business Development Center and Philadelphia Media Network’s “Philly 100” Award and Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Soaring 76” Award, 2017) He is the embodiment of what makes the Philadelphia direct marketing scene more collaborative than competitive. Nick’s unique brand of unpretentious and personal leadership is admired throughout our agency and the direct marketing sphere at large. But...

May 9, 2019

in Marketing

by Beth Harvath

Overcoming bad press: college marketers vs. student debt crisis

In our previous posts, we learned how college marketers are applying marketing solutions to the problems of a declining customer base and poor retention rates. An undercurrent that has propelled both of the problems is the issue of student debt. Search “student debt crisis” and you’ll find four years of headlines such as “Student Debt Is Dragging Down an Entire Generation”. It’s no wonder that Gen Z is cautious about the cost of college. Their paranoia of debt is compounded by the fact that they have witnessed friends and family lose jobs and homes during the 2008 recession. Is rebranding or a brand refresh the solution? When you have an image problem, damage control may include a total rebranding. Take Pennsylvania’s original Beaver College for example. After years of bad jokes and declining applications, they put an end to the ridicule back in 2000 when they rebranded as Arcadia University. By 2005, applications...

April 25, 2019

in Marketing, Uncategorized

by Beth Harvath

Would you settle for a 30% retention rate? Neither should colleges.

In our last blog, Higher education is desperate to lure more of Gen Z. How will they succeed?, we focused on how Colleges and Universities are bolstering their efforts to attract Gen Z as new-student enrollments continue to drop. The college strategies we reviewed are applicable to any business looking forward to Gen Z or serving them today. Of course, onboarding is just part of the story. The next challenge for higher education is retention - how to keep Gen Z engaged and enrolled through to graduation. According to the most recent statistics available, 59.4% of students do not graduate from 4-year institutions and 70% of students do not graduate from 2-year institutions. It’s a sad statistic for our young people, the colleges they attend and our nation as a whole — especially when you consider that a majority are lower-income, minority students who may be the first in their family...

April 4, 2019

in Marketing

by Beth Harvath

Higher education is desperate to lure more of Gen Z. How will they succeed?

In our next few blog posts, we’ll explore a score of challenges faced by colleges and universities across the U.S. and how marketing is part of the solution. Our goal is to gain some inspiration and insight that’s applicable to any business with seemingly unsurmountable changes looming in their marketing sphere. While industries that require higher education are growing rapidly (think healthcare and technology) it’s ironic that colleges are suffering from a steady decline in enrollment. Experts point to many factors including a strong job market that’s luring people away from higher education. Then there’s the larger issue of a declining birthrate which means fewer high school graduates from which to recruit today and in the years ahead. So, what are colleges doing about it? In order to recruit more of Gen Z, which encompasses the next 14 years of high school graduates, savvy college marketing departments are capitalizing on tactics that can...

March 6, 2019

in Marketing

by Beth Harvath

Three Marketing Lessons from Bryce Harper

Don’t underestimate the value of brand building. Before signing his record-setting contract with the Phils, Bryce was busy scoring endorsement deals with T-Mobile, New Era, Gatorade, and others. He’s not one to be content with RBIs and MVPs. To the contrary, he’s been called an ad-making machine and that has pushed his name recognition through the roof. Now, they’ll have to create a new wave of ads with him in a Phillies uniform. Loyalty is worth whatever the going price may be. Marketing 101 says it costs less to keep a customer than it does to pursue a new one. Apparently, the Nationals need some marketing majors in their office. The Phils had no problem paying for a little loyalty and neither did Under Armor when they locked him in for a 10-year endorsement deal in 2016 (the largest ever for an MLB player at the time). After the boost in ticket sales,...

January 7, 2019

in Marketing

by Beth Harvath

BRING IT ON!

Embrace 2019 with Marketing Savvy. What will the new year bring us? That depends on what we bring to the new year. Looking back on 2018 as a 365-day learning experience, we have plenty of marketing knowledge to carry us forward. Consider these five facts as you finalize your 2019 marketing strategy. Direct mail delivers: In 2018, we saw an increased demand for oversized and dimensional mailers among our B2B clients. Smart marketers continue to invest in direct mail because the ROI is strong thanks to campaigns that are increasingly data-driven and micro-targeted. In addition, digital marketing overload has made direct mail more personal, novel and interesting, especially among Gen-Y audiences. Video views are rising: This is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down. Adding video to a website or landing page keeps visitors engaged with your site longer which leads to two important outcomes – better connections with your audience...

May 24, 2018

in Marketing

by Bill Rogers

DCI Earns BEST IN SHOW at PDMA Benny Awards!

“Reach for the Sky” was the theme for the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association’s Benny Awards honoring our region’s best of direct marketing. Most in attendance would agree that we accepted that challenge and then some, after accepting three “Benny” awards, including BEST IN SHOW… ...

July 6, 2017

in Marketing

by Bill Rogers

How to beat the summer heat in Scottsdale

When Mother Nature brings the heat to Arizona, the residents get creative. Where else is dashboard baking a culinary art form? Click image to watch video Still, the 110-degree temps were of no concern to Reem Massella as she landed in Scottsdale on June 25th. Her goal was to beat the heat brought by the competitors at this year’s Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA) Conference and Showcase. Now in its 59th year, IMCA recognizes some of the hottest work in insurance marketing and communications. Entries come from across North America with competitors ranging from top insurers and brokerage firms to independent advertising and marketing agencies of all sizes. We’re proud to report that Direct Choice Inc. beat the heat with two awards: - Award of Excellence (Divi6sion III Marketing Communications, Single Item, Sales/Marketing/Branding Promotion under $15K) for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina “Medicare Made Simple” Guide - Award of Excellence (Division III Marketing...

Marketing

directchoiceinc