Greetings!                                                                      

 

This month's E-Newsletter will focus less on Concept Media, and more on issues that help YOU, the business person. Here's what we'll cover: 

• Local businesses that can help YOUR business
• "Brand": Important concept or annoying marketing buzzword?

As always, please feel free to email or call if you have any questions, comments, or would just like to chat.  

 

Regards,

 

Ralph Brewer

President

Concept Media, Inc.

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Local Businesses That Can Help Your Business 

 

We're not under the delusion that Concept Media can solve all of the business world's problems. That's why we rely on the help of others to get us over the hump, and we often refer the same companies to our friends and clients. Here are a couple that you should give strong consideration to partnering with. We know they've done wonders for us...

 

Action Business Coaching

 

While the concept of a business owner having a coach may be new to some, others...such as successful athletes, entertainers, CEO's and more... have long understood the value of having an experienced individual who is dedicated to their success work with them to ensure that they achieve their highest level of performance.

 

And it's working for Action's clients in the Louisville area, who routinely see significant increases in their profitability within just a few months, and typically find that they are soon able to spend less time working in their business and more time enjoying the fruits of their labors. If you'd like to find out how you can get your business to provide more for you, contact Duane Shover to arrange a time to talk so you can determine if business coaching is right for you. 

 

Duane Shover
Action Business Coaching
Office: 502-412-6517       Cell: 502-648-0574  
duaneshover@actioncoach.com
www.actioncoach.com/duaneshover

 

Executive Image

 

Listen up gentlemen. You are fooling yourself if you think your appearance doesn't matter.  Both men and women notice what you are wearing and form an opinion about you in a matter of seconds. If you're like most businessmen, the thought of shopping and selecting clothes is about as appealing as getting that 40 year old doctor exam *shudder*.

 

Ken Grossman, founder of Executive Image, takes all of the headache and guesswork out of  building a stylish, yet professional warddrobe.  Whether it's custom-made shirts, pants, custom suits, belts, shoes, or off-the-rack items... Ken really knows his stuff. He brings the store right to your office!

 

I've known Ken for over a year now and I'm a proud client. I have several custom shirts, pants, sweaters...and was recently measured for my first custom-made suit.  When you wear something as nice as what Ken offers, you feel more confident, people routinely compliment you... it's just a better overall experience!

 

Ken Grossman

Executive Image

Master Custom Clothier

502-327-8827 (Office)

502-417-0324 (Cell)
www.ExecutiveImage.com

 

Trinity Video Communications 

 

Trinity is by no means a "small" business, but they are local and they offer a service that many businesses should be aware of and give strong consideration to.

 

If you're traveling a great deal to satellite offices or to meet regular clients, you're doing a few things wrong: wasting time, wasting money, and harming the environment. The act of hopping on a plane and going across country may have once been a "treat" but now it's just a huge hassle and makes less and less sense with today's available technology.

 

Trinity has been providing high-end videoconferencing technology to many of our country's important governmental agencies (like the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security) for many years. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch on and realize how much sense videoconferencing makes.

 

Trinity's services aren't limited to just providing the hardware and software for videoconferencing. Check out their website to see what all they have to offer. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that such a cool company is right here in the Ville. 

 

Trinity Video Communications

11400 Decimal Drive
Louisville KY 40299
800.261.9008
502.240.6100
fax. 502.240.6140
tvc@trinityvideo.net

 

 

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"Brand": Important concept or annoying marketing buzzword?

 

Here's an all-too-common scenario:

 

A small business agrees to meet with a marketing expert. The business needs some help, they have goals in mind for sales, and they want to see what marketing can do to help.

 

Marketing expert asks a few questions, listens intently for 10 minutes, and then pulls out of his magic marketing hat an all too familiar phrase: "You need to RE-BRAND your company." Business owner's eyes get big as he thinks "Oh boy...this sounds expensive." And, he's probably right.

 

Let's break down exactly what the concept of "brand" is really all about. It's very simple.  If you're a new business, you need to make some not-so-fundamental decisions about your business. Such as "What's the culture of our business? What image do we want to convey? Are we a fun company? Do we want to be seen as the friendly neighbor? Are we serious and all business?" The answers to these questions will go towards building your brand.

 

I'll give you an example to help clarify...

 

Apple has done a fantastic job of building on and sticking to their brand image. They're cool, hip, young, and high-quality. Everything they sell and do as a company adheres to the brand. I guarantee you that many really great product ideas have been left on the cutting-room floor because they didn't adhere to the brand. The product wasn't cool, hip, young, or high-quality enough to slap the Apple brand on it.

 

Brand isn't just a logo. Logo design is important, sure...and it can be a lengthy process...but slapping a new logo on your business cards doesn't constitute "re-branding" your company. It goes a lot deeper than that...and much of the work is done by your own people.

 

So, next time a marketing guy listens to you for 10 minutes and says that you need to "re-brand" your business...show him the door.  He's thinking "new logo...new signage...new print collateral..new website" and hasn't done the legwork of really learning about your company and what your brand is really all about.