This past Thursday, Trio Solutions Inc. launched our latest service to the nonprofit world at the 11th annual SCANPO conference - The Nonprofit Nook. We signed up an enthusiastic group of nonprofit professionals to help serve as our launch focus group. We look forward to receiving their feedback and making this site the best resource it can be. Our goal is that The Nonprofit Nook will offer a special section on the World Wide Web for nonprofits to gather free information, resources and support for their marketing needs. A place for nonprofits to make the most of their marketing, event and Web efforts. We have lofty plans for The Nonprofit Nook and look forward to providing quality, useful and innovative services for our nonprofit members. Check it out!

With all the media hype about a possible recession, a weaker dollar, and a downturn in the real estate market, a company’s first inclination may be to pull back on expenses and trim the marketing budget. Instead, a company should consider increasing their marketing spending or at least maintaining their current spend. Companies should look at this as a time to strengthen their competitive advantage. Boosting your spend while your competitors are cutting back, can improve your market share and increase your return on investment at a lower cost. If you have to cut your spend then try to maintain the same advertising frequency. Consider switching to radio ads instead of TV, place :15 second spots instead of :30 second spots, or utilize direct mail or interactive marketing such as social networking sites for a more immediate impact. But whatever decision you make, always stay consistent and true to your message and brand. In times like these, consumers find comfort in the familiar.

Jennifer, Jessica and I just got back from a week in Denver and I think I have found a second career. While in Denver, Jessica and I dined twice at the Delectable Egg. It is truly a little piece of heaven on earth! For a breakfast food lover like myself, it had everything from omelets to a healthy french toast made with egg whites and apple juice. I decided on the trip back that Charleston MUST have it’s own Delectable Egg. So, anyone reading this who would like to invest in a restaurant, I am ready to take on a second career. And I am happy to approach Delectable Egg regarding franchise opportunities. As a marketing professional, I understand the importance of keeping your brand consistent. Therefore there is only one thing I would change for the Charleston location…we must add grits to the menu! Bon appetit!

I read an interesting article on editorialemergency.com that really hit home. I’ve seen this type of behavior on many Web site development projects that I have been involved with:

http://www.editorialemergency.com/content/view/181/51

The premise of the article is that people often come to marketers (print, Web, whatever) and say that they want to stand out, do something different, and capture people’s attention. So the creative team goes off and produces a design or copy that is edgy, unique, or different in some way, and often when presented with it, the client will shy away from moving forward and wants to revert back to what they see everyone else in their industry doing.

When organizations do something different, there is often the fear that they will turn someone off, or perhaps that they will not appeal to a broad enough audience. It’s that fear that produces bland designs and jargon-laden copy. If you are using the same style as everyone else, why would a customer choose you over your competitors? If you are willing to stake your business on luck, then go with that approach.

I believe the key is to first identify your target audience (everyone is not a target audience) and then find out what makes them tick. What do they respond to? Once you know that, don’t be afraid to get creative. There are too many other voices out there, and you can’t afford for yours not to stand out.

Recently, our client MedExpress, a retail health care clinic in Augusta, Georgia, learned that after nine months of branding themselves in the community, they would have to change their name. It seemed that another health care company in West Virginia already had the trademark on the usage. Initially, we all gasped and thought the world had ended. But after thinking things over we decided to turn this negative into a positive. We took this as an opportunity to find a new name that could better represent their mission and image already established in the community. ExpressHealth Inc. would be the new name. Slowly the changed occurred. The Web site, marketing collateral and advertising all began using the new name. By keeping with the same look and feel as well as message, the re-branding effort which was almost invisible to the general public, went very smooth. Business has steadily increased and the switch doesn’t appear to have been a major setback. It’s just business as usual for ExpressHealth.

One of our clients recently asked us about double spaces after a period. The funny thing is that double spaces after a period originated with the typesetting machine or typewriters. Adding an extra space made it easier for the reader. However with word processors and computers the need for that extra space diminished. It’s not incorrect to put two spaces, it’s just not necessary nowadays. The typeface of digital fonts and a single space provides enough space to indicate the sentence is over and the next one has begun. But if you are still working on a typewriter, be sure to add that extra space. The ironic thing is the other day my five-year-old son and I were visiting my mom at her office and he noticed the typewriter in the corner of the room. He said, “Grandmother, what is wrong with that computer?”

Me and Jessica Kersey at the 2007 Race for the Cure

This past Saturday we enjoyed a beautiful day on Daniel Island for the 2007 Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure. Trio Solutions Inc. is a proud sponsor of our local Komen affiliate and are honored to provide pro-bono marketing services throughout the year. Our entire team goes above and beyond every year to put our best foot forward for this organization and a very worthy cause. There are two folks on our team that deserve a special recognition for all their hard work on the race committee, Jessica Kersey and Krista Robertson. These two served as co-PR chairs for the race and because of their hard work and commitment, this year’s race exceeded all years past with 5521 participants. They donated countless hours of their personal time to ensure that the race received the best promotion possible. As a board member of Komen, it makes me proud to work with such talented and committed people. Our team was “Trio’s Solution” (cleverly thought of by Jessica Kersey) and I do hope that all of our hard work and dedication to this cause will allow us to one day see a solution to breast cancer and ultimately all cancers. What a joyous and triumphant time that will be.

In a recent article in The Nonprofit Times I read about Techsoup.org’s Second Life for nonprofits. What a brilliant idea (I always think - “man, why couldn’t I have thought of that?”). For you parents out there, it’s like Webkinz for nonprofits. The concept stems from the original Second Life Web site that is a 3-D virtual world entirely built by the “residents” (i.e. account users). As of today there are more than 9.7 million residents in the Second Life world (or “in-world” as they call it). Even for me, who feels pretty comfortable with technology and the Internet, this is pretty out there for non-techies but it appears that once you are in, you’re sucked in and it becomes a new way of life. Techsoup.org is hoping to use this virtual technology to help nonprofits tell their stories, collaborate with others and make a difference through the world of avatars. Organizations like Global Aid Foundation and the American Cancer Society have already started their journey into the Second Life. American Cancer Society held a grand opening!!!

Check out our STATUS REPORT

A special thank you to the Createathon team:
Krista Robertson
Jeanine Szczesniak
Jennifer Cherock
Jessica Munday
Jessica Kersey
Brian Cendrowski
Nicole Cendrowski
Roxanne Hicks
Brian Dadin
Cultigraphic girls

Trio Solutions was selected as the official CreateAthon® agency for the Lowcountry. Although CreateAthon is in its tenth year nationally, this will be the first year this event has been available to Lowcountry nonprofits. For 24 hours, from 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 13 until 8 a.m. on Friday, September 14, every member of our staff will work on pro-bono projects for several nonprofit organizations in our area. During that time, we will complete 15 projects for five organizations. All of our time will be donated.

Congratulations to this year’s CreateAthon recipients:

LOVE Inc.
My Sister’s House
Teacher’s Supply Closet
Lowcountry Earth Force
Berkeley County Foundation of Volunteers for the SC Guardian Ad Litem Program

In an over-communicated world, companies are constantly challenged with leveraging themselves above their competitors. The average person receives more than 1000 messages a day and companies are no longer successful in getting their message noticed. Companies are revisiting the old philosophy of referral marketing or “word of mouth marketing” (WOMM). Used in conjunction with traditional marketing efforts, WOMM can be one of the most effective means of getting your message out.

What is WOMM?
WOMM is a term used to describe activities that generate personal recommendations as well as referrals for companies, their brands, products or services. WOMM promotion is a highly valued communication that comes from a credible source that is unlikely to have an ulterior motive. Consumers value WOMM from friends and family over flashy advertising tactics. This new trend has become a leading resource for consumer information and a driving force in growing companies and their brands.

WOMM is a tool every employee in your company can use to create awareness about your company, products or services. WOMM can happen through face-to-face conversation, Web sites, events, workshops or online communications such as blogging. The key to effective WOMM is to present a clear message about your company each time you communicate with people outside your organization. WOMM is dependent on honesty and promising only what you can deliver.

Ways to Create WOMM

Remember, the power of the human voice and personal contact are the most powerful communication tools a company has!