Category: Copywriting

Reports & White Papers

WHITE PAPER

People-Based Marketing for TV: How to Leverage the Power of Audience Data for One-to-One Targeting Across Linear Television

REPORT

Must-Know Trends that will Shape TV Advertising in 2020

REPORT

Radio Still Moves the Dial for the Home Improvement Industry

ARTICLE

The Health Benefits in Our Longmont Chocolate Milk and Pro-To-Go

pro to go snapshot copy

Tips for getting the most health benefits from drinking Pro-To-Go and chocolate milk

Did you know that our Pro-to-Go and chocolate milk each support a healthy lifestyle for active people, in different ways? We explain the science behind why you should consider when to enjoy each delicious dairy drink throughout your busy day.

Pro-To-Go Nutrition for Busy Lifestyles

With 14 grams of protein in each 8 oz. serving plus added calcium, Pro-to-Go is a convenient and delicious way to get your essential nutrients, on the go. Research shows that calcium and protein can benefit your body in the following ways:

Fight hunger between meals.
Studies show that protein increases energy levels and keeps you feeling fuller longer by blocking messages that signal to your brain when you are hungry.

Boost your metabolism.
Studies have also shown that calcium increases the body’s core temperature, which can prompt our bodies to burn fat.With 40% of your daily requirements for calcium, Pro-to-Go is a great source of this essential nutrient.

Prevent muscle breakdown.
The USDA guidelines warn that, if the body does not get enough protein from your diet, it may break down your muscles to obtain the amino acids it needs to function.While dairy in general is a great source of protein, the added whey protein in our Pro-to-Go formula helps you get 25% of your daily protein requirement in each serving!

Chocolate Milk as a Post-Exercize Recovery Drink

Drinking chocolate milk after heavy exercising can refuel your body, provide you with valuable hydration and electrolytes, and it tastes GREAT!

Experts say that chocolate milk is an effective post-workout recovery drink. In fact, many recent studies show thatchocolate milk replenishes the body after intense exercise just as well as (or better than) any popular sports drink on the market. Here’s why:

Re–fuel tired muscles.
The combination of protein and carbohydrates in chocolate milk appears to be “just right” for refueling weary muscles, says William Lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut. 

Lactose, a sugar naturally present in milk, gives chocolate milk a similar concentration of carbohydrates to protein as some leading sports drinks.

“The high carb and protein content in milk make it an incredibly effective recovery drink,” says physiologist Joel Stagor, director of the Human Performance laboratory at Indiana University.

Replenish lost electrolytes and re-hydrate after a workout.
Chocolate milk contains water, carbohydrates and electrolytes in the form of sodium and potassium. Studies show that the carbohydrates help your body absorb lost electrolytes faster than water alone.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE COMPARISON

Per 1 Cup (240mL) Serving Size

Pro-to-Go Chocolate Milk
Carbohydrate-to-Protein Ratio             2:1Carbohydrate-to-Protein Ratio            3:1
Calories:  190Calories:  190
Protein:  14g (25% daily value)Protein:  9g (17% daily value)
Carbohydrate: 30gCarbohydrate: 28g
 Sugars: 26gSugars:  19g
Total Fat:       3gTotal Fat:       5g
Calcium:        40% daily valueCalcium:        25% daily value

REFERENCES

Mu-Opioid Receptors and Dietary Protein Stimulate a Gut-Brain Neural Circuitry Limiting Food Intake. Duraffourd, et al. Cell, July 5, 2012.

“Calcium: Drink Yourself Skinny”http://www.webmd.com/diet/calcium-weight-loss Michael Zemel, PhD, director of The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010

Indiana University, “Living Well,” October 2009;http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/1674.html

“Chocolate Milk Refuels Muscles After Workout: Study Shows Carbohydrates and Protein in Chocolate Milk Help Muscles Recover From Exercise” http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100604/chocolate-milk-refuels-muscles-after-workout

Consumer Reports, June 15, 2009;http://blogs.consumerreports.org,  “Milk —as good as sports drinks for athletes?”

ARTICLE

The Whole Milk Debate

Thinking about drinking more whole milk?  Recent studies suggest that whole milk contains many nutritional benefits for your body that are not always offered by milk with lower fat content. Consider these recent research findings that suggest whole milk is a healthy choice for you and your family.

The fat in whole milk supports a healthy brain for all ages. Research studies indicate that Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fat found in whole milk, is essential to brain growth in children and in the function of adult brains. DHA is a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid found throughout the brain as well as in the retina and heart. A recent study found that adults suffering from mild memory loss benefitted from improved memory when taking a supplement of 900mg of DHA. Another study found that 600mg of DHA added to the diets of school aged children improved reading scores after 16 weeks. [i]

Children who drink low fat milk are more likely to suffer from childhood obesity than whole milk drinkers.  Research findings from a recent study conducted by the University of Virginia School of Medicine found a correlation between low fat milk consumption (as opposed to whole milk) and increased incidence of childhood obesity in preschool aged children. According to the study, researchers suggest that one reason for this correlation may be due to whole milk’s ability to keep you fuller longer, thus reducing hunger and food consumption.[ii]

Whole milk is associated with lower blood pressure and a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes. Findings from a study published in the American Journal of Nutrition suggests that people whose bodies contain high amounts of  trans-palmitoleic acid, or the “good fat” found in whole milk, may have less incidence of developing potentially life threatening medical conditions. Researchers concluded that “trans-palmitoleate is associated with higher LDL cholesterol but also with lower triglycerides, fasting insulin, blood pressure, and incident diabetes.” [iii]

Whole milk helps build muscle. A study conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch found that drinking whole milk after muscle resistance exercises increases your body’s ability to use amino acids for protein synthesis. Net muscle protein synthesis occurs when resistance exercise is combined with amino acid intake. The study examined the response of muscle protein after a leg resistance exercise when whole milk was ingested as recovery drink one hour following the exercise. Three groups were given one of three milk drinks: 237 g of fat-free milk, 237 g of whole milk, or 393 g of fat-free milk isocaloric with the whole milk. The study concluded that whole milk is better at supporting muscle protein synthesis than low fat milk.[iv]

The fat in whole milk helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Some of the vitamins found in whole milk are fat soluble, meaning that fat is needed to break them down to use in your body. These include vitamins A, D, E and K. The fat in whole milk improves the absorption of these vitamins. Vitamins are essential for a variety of body functions including vision, reproduction, immune response, maintaining blood calcium and phosphorus balance, antioxidant activity, blood clotting, bone metabolism and protein synthesis.[v]

Lower intake of dairy fat has been associated with higher risk of developing obesity. One paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care found that men who consumed high fat milk and other dairy were less likely to become obese compared to men who consumed low fat milk and dairy. The Swedish longitudinal study followed a group of 1782 middle aged men over a period of 12 years, 1589 of whom participated in the follow up study. While the subjects of this research study may be too small to represent a definite segment of the population, similar findings have been reported from other studies focusing on dairy fat intake and risks of obesity.[vi]

REFERENCES

[i] Wainwright, Patricia E. Dietary essential fatty acids and brain function: A developmental perspective on mechanisms. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2002 (61).

[ii] Longitudinal evaluation of milk type consumed and weight status in preschoolers. Arch Dis Child 2013(98)5.

[iii] trans-Palmitoleic acid, other dairy fat biomarkers, and incident diabetes: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2013. (97)4.

[iv] Milk Ingestion Stimulates Net Muscle Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise. Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.2006.(38)4.

[v] Fox, P.F. and P.L.H. McSweeney (1998). Dairy Chemistry and Biochemistry. Blackie Academic and Professional Publishers, London.

[vi] High dairy fat intake related to less central obesity: a male cohort study with 12 years’ follow-up. Scand J Prim Health Care.2013.31(2).

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A simple guide to CCPA compliance

by Amber Foster

What is the CCPA?

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a new privacy law that gives California residents greater control of their personal data and puts tighter restrictions on how businesses collect and process personal data. It goes into effect January 1, 2020 and includes privacy regulations for all personal data collected on California residents from January 1, 2019. 

Use this simple guide to find out how the CCPA applies to you and what you should do to ensure your business is compliant.

Does the CCPA Apply to My Business?

The CCPA covers for-profit companies that do business in California or serve California residents. Additionally, these companies must meet one or more of the following criteria for the CCPA to apply:

  • Earn at least $25M in annual gross revenue
  • Earn more than 50% of annual revenue from data sales
  • Has bought, sold, and/or shared personal data on 50 thousand or more California residents, households, or devices for commercial purposes

If none of these apply to your business, good news. You’re not required to follow the CCPA guidelines. For everyone else, read on to learn more about compliance requirements and how to prepare your business for the big changes ahead.

If the CCPA Does Apply,  Here’s 5 Things You Need to Know

1. Under the CCPA, businesses must allow California residents to opt-out of the sale of personal information.

The sale of personal information under the CCPA  includes selling, renting, releasing, disclosing, disseminating, making available, transferring, or otherwise communicating orally, in writing, or by electronic or other means, a consumer’s personal information to another business or a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration.”

2. Data used for business purposes does not fall under the CCPA guidelines.

Businesses do not need to offer an opt-out for data collected for business purposes. Meaning, its ok to collect and use customer first party data if you aren’t selling it. Examples of businesses uses are for 1st-party uses, including contextual customization such as website cookies that remember a user’s items in a shopping cart or their billing and  shipping addresses, or website analytics such as counting and verifying ad impressions.

3. How the CCPA defines personal information.

According to the CCPA, personal information is any sensitive or psudononymous data that can be linked back to an individual consumer or household.

Specifically, the CCPA defines personal information as “information that identifies, relates to,describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household. ”

Examples may include web browsing and search history, mobile IDs, IP addresses, location data, Personally identifiable information (PII) data  such as name, address, phone number, or email address, professional or employment-related information, or inferences drawn from any of the above examples that can create a profile about a consumer.

A household is anyone living under the same residence. If a consumer opts-out, all data collected across every device of all individuals within a household must be deleted and future data that is collected for sale purposes is prohibited.

4. The CCPA regulations cover only California residents who opt-out.

Unlike the EU’s GDPR, the CCPA is opt-in, not opt-out. As long as a person whose data is being collected  hasn’t opted out, you may continue to use the data for cookie matching, programmatic advertising and  targeting.  Also, the law only applies to the  personal data of California residents.

5. The CCPA does not restrict a business’s ability to collect, use, retain, sell, or disclose de-identified or aggregated data.

De-identified information involves individual records that can no longer be associated or relinked with any particular individual. For information to be considered aggregate, it must not be linked or reasonably linked to any consumer or household. If information can be linked to a device, it is not considered aggregate consumer information.

Penalties for Noncompliance

Individuals can sue for $100 to $750 per breach or actual damages, whichever is higher. You could also be charged with a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for each unintentional breach and up to $7,500 per intentional breach.

CCPA Compliance Checklist

Use this simple checklist to bring your business into compliance with the CCPA.

1. Perform a comprehensive review of your data collection and management systems

Conduct an audit of your current data privacy practices, policies and procedures. Review terms of use and other customer contracts and templates to ensure there are no provisions which waive customer rights to request data. Make sure CCPA-mandated provisions are included in service agreements with vendors and service providers.

2. Make it easy for California consumers to opt-out of the sale of personal information.

Publish a “DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION” page for California residents. A link to this page should be visible on your homepage and any web page that collects personal information.

Online only direct-to-consumer businesses can link to an opt-out email address. For businesses not exclusively online or those that do not have direct relationships with consumers, you will need to link to an opt-out page and list a toll-free phone number and email addresses where consumers can submit information access requests . Your Privacy Policy and homepage must also link to the opt-out page. Avoid requesting opt-in consent for one year after a California resident opts-out.

3. Update your Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Policy must include the five California consumer rights under the CCPA:

  1. The right to notice
  2. The right to opt-out
  3. The right to access
  4. The right to request deletion
  5. The right to equal services and practices

You must also provide details for all personal information that you’ve released, sold, disclosed or transferred for sale purposes from January 1, 2019, including:

  1. What kind of information is collected
  2. How it is collected
  3. Why it is collected
  4. How consumers can access, delete or deny the collection of their personal information
  5. How you verify consumer age and obtain minor consent. Minors must opt-in to the collection of personal information for sale purposes. Under age 13, you must obtain parental consent. For minors ages 13 – 16, you must obtain consent directly from the consumer. Minors must also be able to opt in, and later, opt out, of the sale of their PII. For more information read the National Law Review’s article, Special Rules Regarding Minors.

4. Develop an internal process for making data rights actionable.

You will need to create a standard procedure for deleting data when requested by California residents. This could mean a dedicated email address for opt-out requests and detailed measures for deleting data from internal and external databases as well as communicating to third parties with whom the data has been shared. Your process must be well-documented and all employees should be trained to execute these procedures.

For more information about the California Consumers Privacy Act visit https://www.caprivacy.org/

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website are intended to convey general information only and not to provide legal advice or opinions.  

Beginner’s Guide to People-Based Marketing

by Amber Foster

Introduction

Let’s face it. The days when advertisers could reach the masses over evening television are long gone. The proliferation of internet devices has caused the media landscape to explode into a bunch of fragmented channels, and audiences are now scattered far and wide. There are now more ways than ever to reach today’s consumers, and advertisers have taken full advantage of this trend.

The average consumer is hit with 5,000 marketing messages each day. As a result, consumers have gotten pretty good at filtering them out. Cutting through the noise requires a new strategy for delivering the right message to the right people at the right time. That strategy is called people-based marketing.

SECTION 1:

What is People-Based Marketing?

The term “people-based marketing” has been generating buzz for the marketing industry ever since Atlas, Facebook’s ad server, entered the media buying landscape in 2014. Even If you’re new to people based marketing, you may know it by another name.

People-based marketing focuses on creating personalized interactions with your most valuable audience members across all your media channels and touch points. A people-based approach allows brands to leverage deep insights about your customers and what drives them to convert. These insights enable brands to create what your customers want most from you – an omni- channel customer experience.

The traditional “spray and pray” approach to marketing involves
targeting everyone in the hopes that your message reaches your intended audience. A people-based approach allows you to strategically place your media where audiences closest to the point of purchase are actively paying attention. That means you waste less spend on audiences less likely to convert.

SECTION 2:

How Does People-Based Marketing Work?

Data is at the heart of people-based marketing. Data management technologies combine your first-party data with data you buy from third-party providers to build an identity graph of the audiences closest to the point of purchase. You can then match the identity graph to media publishers’ inventories without disclosing personally identifiable information about your customers.

While data may be the heartbeat of a people-based approach, it’s only as reliable as a company’s ability to collect it, analyze it and make it actionable. That’s where data management tools come into play. There are a ton of data management tools to choose from, but it’s important to note that not all systems and platforms are created equal.

The right data management tools will vastly improve your chances of success with a people-based marketing strategy. If you’re considering a new data management system, our data management tools evaluation checklist can help you find the best tools for your business.

Wingman’s proprietary Audience Management Platform, haloAMP™ is one such tool. We use haloAMP™ to help our clients make the most informed media selections for a winning people-based marketing strategy. Here is Wingman Media’s step by step process using our proprietary Audience Management Platform, haloAMP™ :

1. Remove Data Silos

haloAMP collects your customer data across multiple silos, such as offline contact data and online response metrics. This data is stored in a centralized location where you can match it with signal data to create rich customer profiles.

2. Assign Identity Link

A universal identity link, or persistent identifier, is assigned to each profile. This step makes personally identifiable information (PII) anonymous before you share your data with downstream data partners.

4. Perform Data Match

Anonymized audience segments are matched with media consumption data and additional signal data from third-party providers. This data reveals deep insights into your audiences’ media habits across every channel, screen and device.

STEP 4. Buy Media Inventory

The platform matches the enriched audience segments with media publisher inventory. We select the best media channels and formats to reach your most relevant audiences wherever they are paying attention.

SECTION 3:

How is PBM Different from Traditional Audience Targeting & Measurement Strategies?

The key difference between traditional targeting and people-based targeting is the quality of the data, The most common forms of old-school audience measurement include market ratings and web cookies. A people-based approach, on the other hand, leverages deep data insights from REAL people who buy from you. Let’s take a deeper look at the types of data used in both of these strategies.

Old School Strategies

Market Ratings

Market ratings or “legacy ratings” limit targeting to demographics, such as age range and gender. Nielsen Company has had a monopoly on the market ratings business since the 1950s. The data is aggregated from small samples of panel-based audiences which only represent a tiny fraction of the population. Because age ranges within a demo are so broad, the individuals within these segments typically share very few behaviors, interests, and motivations. Despite these limitations, market ratings are still used in the majority of media transactions for broadcast television and terrestrial radio and many digital campaigns.

Website Cookies

Web cookies are small packets of data stored on a user’s computer when visiting a website. They are used to identify returning web visitors and to rack online browsing behaviors such as website browsing behaviors and online purchase decisions. They’re a form of device- based targeting because cookies provide data on a single, non-mobile device like a desktop computer.

The problem with website cookies? They create data silos, which isolate them from other data sets such as mobile apps, call center data, email marketing and in-store sales. Therefore, website cookies are no longer sufficient for targeting your digital audience.

New School Strategies

A people-based strategy takes the guesswork out of targeting because it leverages insights from the real people who care about your message – your customers. Advertisers are thus able to target their most valuable audiences with granular precision.

First-Party Data

First-party data is the data you collect directly from your customers, Thus it provides advertisers with some of the most valuable insights to target your key audiences. Here are a few examples of first-party data:

  • CRM data
  • POS and other transactional data Lead lists
  • Offline customer data
  • Website user data

Third-Party Data

Third-party data is sourced from companies that don’t have direct relationships with consumers. It generally comes from big data aggregators like Axciom and Infogroup who license the data to marketers. These companies collect all sorts of valuable data signaling purchase intent which can be layered onto your first party data. Signal data comes in many forms such as shopping behaviors, customer loyalty memberships, credit card data and media consumption data like website browsing behaviors.

SECTION 4:

Why Should Advertisers Care about PBM?

People-based marketing helps foster better relationships with your customers by creating seamless one-to-one experiences with your brand across all channels. This is essential in marketing because consumers are now demanding a more personalized customer experience from their interactions with brands.

The biggest benefit of people-based marketing is that it avoids wasted ad spend by reducing the number of impressions spent on audiences with low engagement. This allows you to focus your ad budget on the inventory that reaches the people who care about your message, while they’re actively paying attention. This advantage drives greater response from your most valuable audiences.

SECTION 5:

How Can I Learn More About People-Based Marketing?

We’ve covered the basics of people-based marketing. Ready to learn more? Check out these related topics:

How to Select the Right Data Management Tools for Omni-Channel Marketing

Discover the types of data management systems, learn how they are used for marketing, and find out how to choose the right mix of tools for your business.

The Retailer’s Secret to Creating a Profitable Omni-Channel Customer Experience

Learn why building an omni-channel customer experience i(CX) is necessary for retailers who wish to remain competitive in the retail market.

Promotional Copy

Product Promotion

DESCRIPTION: Product copy to promote client’s new protein drink. 

Pro-To-Go Protein Milk

Pro-to-Go whey protein fortified milk packs 14 grams of protein into each delicious 8 oz. glass. Try it as a meal replacement or protein booster. Great for busy adults, active teens and growing children. With a creamy – never chalky texture and  wholesome ingredients like Longmont Dairy milk, getting your daily dose of protein never tasted so good. Available in vanilla and chocolate.

For a limited time only, you can try both flavors with our mix-and-match 4 pack.

Product Promotion

DESCRIPTION: Product copy and recipes to promote client’s new beverage. 

NEW!  Bhakti Chai Tea

bhakti chai

Made from a blend of full flavored herbs and aromatic spices, Bhakti Chai Tea  will warm you up even on the coolest autumn days. Simply heat up a glass of fresh Longmont Dairy Milk and mix with equal parts Bhakti Chai Tea Concentrate.

Bhakti Chai Tea pairs perfect with our milk, and  can be used as the “secret ingredient” for so many delicious dishes.

Add Bhakti Chai Tea to your next order and be sure to try our two new recipes, Bhakti Chai Pumpkin Bread and Bhakti Ginger Pear and Oat Smoothie.

Bhakti Chai Pumpkin Bread

pumpkinbread

Ingredients:

¾ cup Bhakti Chai Concentrate
2 cups  flour
1 ½  cups whole wheat flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sunflower oil
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, sunflower oil and Bhakti Chai Tea Concentrate. Combine with dry mixture and divide evenly into two 8×4 inch loaf pans.

Bake in oven for one hour, checking center of loaves with skewer or bread knife to ensure no mixture sticks. Set loaf pans on wire rack to cool before serving. Slice and serve warm with butter.

Servings: makes 2 8×4” loaves

Bhakti Ginger and Oat Smoothie

pear-smoothie

Ingredients:

1 small pear, cored and cut into one inch cubes
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
8 oz. Noosa Plain Yoghurt
1 cup Bhakti Chai Concentrate
½ cup instant oats, uncooked
8 ice cubes

Use a blender to combine all ingredients and blend on high for one minute. Serve immediately.

Servings: makes 2 (8 oz.) servings

Press Release

DESCRIPTION: Press release targeting Inland Empire based manufacturers  to participate in  the annual Innovation  Awards ceremony during the Inland Empire Manufacturers’ Summit.

Calling all Manufacturers: Enter to Win the E=MC² Innovation Awards

innovation award pr

INLAND EMPIRE, Calif., 12 Dec., 2017 – Does your organization constantly seek new innovative means to achieve efficiency and growth? Then you could be one of the three local manufacturers to receive recognition as a recipient of an E=mc²  Innovation Award, to be presented at the 4th Annual Summit of the Inland Empire Manufacturers’ Council on February 19, 2017, at the newly renovated Riverside Convention Center.

Winners will have an opportunity to explain their innovation to the 2017 Summit audience, in person or by video during a special  ceremony at the event. Additional exposure for the manufacturer will be included in post- event PR in area media. Winners will  also be posted the on the MCIE website at www.MFGcouncilie.com
The E=mc² Innovation Awards are designed to recognize the innovations of local manufacturers in order to encourage discussion about difficult problems facing manufacturers and create a means of solving those problems for the growth the Inland Empire manufacturing community. Single awards are made in three categories: Innovation in Resource Efficiency, Innovation in Effectiveness, and Innovation in Employment.

The individual letters in “E=mc²” stand for: Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Employment Equal Manufacturers’ Concerns. The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire believes that most local manufacturing companies become more efficient when these principles are adopted.

HOW TO ENTER
To enter for your chance to receive this special honor, you must fill out the award application and explain how your company displays innovation in one of the three categories. All entries that will be considered for the awards must be submitted to the MCIE by January 26, 2017. The application form with more details about the categories can be found on the MCIE website at http://www.mfgcouncilie.com. Only businesses within the Inland Empire manufacturing industry are eligible to win.

ABOUT THE  INNOVATION AWARDS
Local manufacturers honored during last year’s Manufacturers’ Summit included Safariland,  Vista Metals and Fresh and Easy. Safariland was named the  winner for Innovation in Efficiency, an award presented to manufacturers who demonstrate the most innovation in improving resource efficiency or energy costs. Safariland is a manufacturer of equipment for sporting, military, law enforcement, investigation and public safety personnel. Their products are used by law enforcement, competitive shooting, outdoor sportsman and military customers.

Vista Metals, the world’s largest independent producer of specialty aluminum products, was presented the award for their marketing program based on cost-effectiveness, impact, publicity received, results and consumer response. With the assistance of social media,Vista Metals is able to share its numerous milestones to their audience.Vista Metals explained their marketing strategy with Summit guests by sharing their video presentation “Vista Metals and the Social Media Breakthrough.”

“We are very excited about this award. It is an honor to be recognized for our marketing programs,” said Jasmine Creighton, Marketing and Online Content Coordinator for Vista Metals. “We look forward to continuing to explore new and innovative marketing ideas.”
Fresh and Easy received last year’s award for Innovation in Employment. Their creation of an all-encompassing manufacturing training and development platform called the Campus Hub. The award is given to the applicant that demonstrates the most innovation in workforce issues, with efforts taken to identify, recruit and prepare/train the needed workforce, while resisting workforce reduction. Fresh and Easy’s Campus Hub platform hosts an employee developmental program called Options, which includes monthly talent spotting sessions, recruitment of employees, and management of employee’s training, as well as coaching and personal development.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL MANUFACTURERS’ SUMMIT
The Annual Manufacturers’ Summit, hosted by the MCIE, provides information to manufacturers highlights successes of business in the Inland Empire and promotes manufacturing jobs. Summit attendees are given the opportunity to discuss solutions to the most pressing issues facing the manufacturing community, including regulations, workforce development, resource efficiency, exporting and marketing. To learn more about the upcoming 2017 Summit and the MCIE, go to http://mfgcouncilie.com

Instagram Story

DESCRIPTION: A Instagram store promoting client’s travel offer.

Twitter Posts

DESCRIPTION: A collection of posts promoting travel to Mongolia

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The 5 Key Attributes of A Modern Distribution Supply Chain You Should Adopt Now

By Amber Foster

Introduction

Globalization, rising energy costs and strict government regulations are just a few of the many challenges threatening the stability of  U.S. manufacturing and distribution industries. A modern supply chain has become instrumental for industrial companies to meet these challenges and  maintain a competitive advantage. By leveraging new technologies and methodologies that modernize our supply chain, ITP has maintained consistent growth in the face of rapid technological advances and market instability.

Because adaptation to new advancements and modern trends is crucial to compete and gain market share, companies must plan ahead to keep up with supply chain partners, or get left behind. A disconnected supply chain creates longer procurement cycles, diminishes quality, increases costs, affects customer satisfaction and threatens the vitality of a company.  

Here are 5 attributes of a well-managed distribution supply chain that you can adopt into your own processes and successfully meet the many challenges in today’s industrial market.

Access to Shared Information

Communication is probably the most important attribute of a successful modern supply chain. Communication that keeps all members along a supply chain informed of developments affecting demand and operations greatly improves efficiency and productivity. Access to shared information enables partners along all points of the supply chain to meet changing demand conditions and to quickly make adjustments that prevent disruptions.

Integrated Management Software

Business process management software allows an organization to use a system of integrated applications that manage operations and automate many back office functions related to technology, services and human resources.

Integrated automation tools can greatly improve the time, energy and resources needed for many of the everyday operations. ITP has invested over one-half million dollars into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with fully integrated applications for managing all operations related to inventory management and control, from product planning to sales.

Efficiency Programs

We help our customers reduce costs and maximize efficiency by offering services that incorporate the principles of Lean Manufacturing into inventory management and replenishment. Lean programs offer a variety of different methodologies designed to eliminate non-value added activities from the production process. Benefits include reduction of customer on-hand inventory and procurement costs, lowered freight and transportation costs, improved fill rates and increased inventory turns and cash flow.

To meet our goal of building long-standing customer relationships, we provide vendor managed inventory programs that foster a closer understanding of supply between customer and supplier. Inventory programs also eliminate many of the functions associated with inventory acquisition and keep our customer’s end-user satisfied.

Collaboration

Streamlined, two-way communication between digitally connected supply chain networks are mutually beneficial for all partners. Collaboration between supply chain members strengthens relationships, encourages teamwork, satisfies customer demands, grows markets and increases competitive market share. Over the last four years, we have actively engaged in collaborative business development management training, vendor sponsored product training and mentoring programs that improve collaboration on all levels of the supply chain.

Global Market Knowledge

Understanding the global market is a key component to the relationships among the distribution industries. We understand that importing is not all it’s cracked up to be. We don’t guarantee that we sell products cheaper than what you may be able to purchase overseas, but we remove the headache that often comes from purchasing low quality products and consequently, throwing away thousands of dollars.

In order to keep costs low and stay competitive, ITP purchases some of its goods offshore. Over 30 years of business with offshore vendors allows us to purchase in large quantities, providing customers with competitive pricing, quality products and efficient service.

Ready to learn more about how our special programs can help you? Contact us to speak with one of our customer service representatives today.

How to Build An Omni-channel Customer Experience in Retail

by Amber Foster

When it comes to customer engagement,  retailers have  more opportunities – and more challenges – than ever before. On one hand, there are more ways to engage with a new generation of mobile-first, digitally connected consumers. On the other, the ubiquity of technology in our everyday lives is blurring the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. Because of this, consumers expect brands to connect the dots across every engagement, whether they are visiting your retail store, calling your customer service desk, or interacting with your social media accounts.  

The modern consumer expects today’s retailers to create an omni-channel customer experience – personalized, meaningful brand engagements that occur seamlessly across all screens and devices. Moving your customer experience (CX) strategy omni-channel isn’t just a good idea, its a MUST for retailers that wish to remain competitive in the marketplace. Failure to make this a top priority could spell big trouble for your business in the long run. Here are a few tips to help you get started with omni-channel CX.

Make Meaningful Connections Online and Offline

To understand the impact that customer experience can have on a retail brand, one needs to look no further than the Sears department store. Sears The 126-year-old retail giant held steady growth for more than a century and was once the nation’s largest retailer. Sears dominated the retail market for decades with tactics like innovative product advertising, consumer education and corporate branding, even during economic downturns. But even giants fall.

Despite having previously survived many market calamities throughout its history, Sears found itself in the throes of bankruptcy in late 2018, during a period of economic expansion. Where did the retailer go wrong and what can other companies learn from their mistakes? The downfall of Sears offers important lessons for retailers.

Sears didn’t fail because they fell behind on technology; in fact, they were one of the pioneers of the online retail space. Website functionality is certainly important for retailers, but the offline-to-online customer experience is ultimately what matters most. While Sears did a great job of staying current on technology, they did little to connect their customers online and offline customers with their value proposition.

Today’s customers expect brands to provide a personalized experience that occurs seamlessly across every channel. In today’s highly competitive market, retailers need to stand out from the crowd, meet customers where they are, and get their attention. Customers won’t be compelled to buy from you if they don’t feel a connection with your brand.

Apply People-Based Marketing 

Traditional marketing uses a multi-channel approach, which segments media campaigns by channel, such as linear television and digital media. The problem with this approach is that it creates silos in which data sets are disconnected from each other.

Today’s brands must move toward a people-based marketing strategy, where the customer is the central focal point.  A people-based marketing strategy moves multichannel interactions into an omni-channel focus,  helping you gain a clear picture of how your customers interact with your brand across every channel. People-based marketing puts the customer at the core to ensure a completely consistent, unified experience at every touch point.

omnichannel versus multichannel cx image

The Aberdeen Group reports that businesses with strong omni-channel customer engagement strategies retain 89 percent of their customers compared to only 33 percent for companies with weak strategies. Acting now could give you a heavy leg up on the competition. Consider these recent findings:

> By 2020, the demand for an omni-channel customer experience will be amplified by the need for nearly perfect execution.

>Just 9% of businesses have fully functioning systems that allow them to  consistently engage customers across channels

>Only 26% of companies have yet to take any action regarding an omni-channel strategy.

“Businesses with strong omni-channel customer engagement strategies retain 89 percent of their customers compared to only 33 percent for companies with weak omni-channel strategies.”

Invest in the Right Marketing Technologies 

Are You Using the Right Data Management Tools to Succeed?

Use our free checklist to evaluate them now! Plus get recommendations on the best technologies to help you meet your marketing goals.

The process of putting customer expectations first requires technologies to deliver your most relevant and consistent message across the media ecosystem. New data management systems that help connect the dots between your online and offline touch points are becoming widely available. 

Selecting data management tools based on your infrastructure, sales process and business goals is key.

If your brand is in the market for a new data management system, our free evaluation checklist can help you select the best tools and platforms to succeed.

One example of a data management system is an Audience Management Platform (AMP). An AMP helps retailers connect data silos across disparate systems, and create a 360-degree view of your customers. AMPs can track customer engagements from offline to online, like in-store traffic at brick-and-mortar locations and online traffic on your e-commerce websites. These insights help retailers tailor messaging to individuals based on shopping behaviors and past purchases.

User profiles are another powerful tool for retailers looking to improve omni-channel CX. Profiles allow shoppers to take purchase and browsing history with them across channels. A user profile simplifies the process of multi-channel shopping. Customers can begin shopping online and visit brick-and-mortar stores to complete their transactions in person. Smartphone app technology can help simplify the online to offline customer experience by offering coupons and discounts, interactive in-store catalogs, and in-stock availability at brick-and-mortar locations.

While retailers like Sears are struggling to adapt to the new omni-channel CX, others are revamping their systems to stay competitive in the marketplace. Big retailers like Target and Walmart are doubling down on their investments in technology to connect CX across their brick-and-mortar shops and e-commerce stores. Their investments reflect how important it is for retailers to build seamless CX across every channel that meet increasing expectations of today’s consumers .

How to Harness the Power of Smarketing (Sales + Marketing)

by Amber Foster

Successful inbound marketing strategies implement a methodology commonly called Smarketing, the combined efforts of both your marketing and sales team to generate leads, nurture leads and close customers.

Today, many companies have a hard time connecting their sales and marketing teams together. Too often they are siloed into two separate, and often competing departments. To create a stable and lasting partnership between the two teams requires a strategic approach that treats them as a single, revenue-generating organization, not adversaries. Here are a few tips to help you create your own Smarketing Department.

Create a Lead Qualifying Process

Creating a lead qualifying process for your company is important and will help you determine when to send qualified leads to the sales team. The qualifying process helps align the marketing goals to the sales quotas. Here are a few questions you can work through with your team:

  • How strong is the prospects need for your services?
  • Does the prospect have a budget that qualifies?
  • Are decision makers part of the sales process?
  • Do you know the timetable for their purchase decision?

Meet and Review Leads with the Sales Team

Reviews should be regularly conducted at a time span works best for your team; weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly. During the lead review meetings, the goal should be to assess how each department can understand and support the goals of the other departments. From the sales team’s perspective, you want to continue to improve the leads that are provided to them as “Sales Qualified Leads.” Some question you can ask your sales team:

  • What does your sales process look like?
  • What qualities make a lead good or bad?
  • Do leads typically have the right expectations about what they’re getting?
  • Are there specific marketing offers that signify a particularly strong or weak lead?
  • What are the top reasons a lead doesn’t close?
  • Are there any ways marketing can help or do better?
  • What does a bad lead look like?
  • Why do great clients stay with you and make repeat business?

Coach the Sales Team Tactics that Close Inbound Leads

What should your sales team say to a lead that has come from the marketing strategies?  Because the sales team is being handed marketing and sales qualified leads, the sale members will have a wealth of information at their fingertips to improve the communications.

During a conversation with a lead, your sales team should consider some communication guidelines:

First, mention the form or download that was used to generate the lead’s contact information. For example, “We just received the form you submitted on our website asking for more information about our marketing services. What can I help you with today?”

Next, ask open-ended questions such as “How? Who? What? When? Where? Why?” Questions should not be sales related. Rather, the sales person’s goal is to begin the consultative sales process. Examples of open-ended questions:

  • “How do you execute your marketing strategy?”
  • Who currently handles your marketing efforts?
  • What are your biggest marketing challenges?
  • Why did you decide to reach out to our company for help?

Identify the issues that a lead is having and be the solution. The goal of the consultative sales process is to find out how to be of value to the lead. Focus on challenges or pain points and provide a solution that will help them meet their business goals. This methodology is sometimes called “solution-based selling.” Remember that the conversation should not be about you, your numbers or your products.

Continue sending the lead through the lifecycle stages. A future contact date should be scheduled during this initial conversation. If your sales person does not connect with a lead, the lead should be placed into a workflow that includes a plan for further nurturing.

Create a Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Create a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between sales & marketing to determine the number of leads that marketing will pass to the sales team. How many leads should be given to each sales rep? This answer will depend on your company’s revenue goals. Our inbound ROI calculator can help you calculate how many leads marketing should pass onto sales each month. You can determine if your inbound strategy is on track by comparing your conversion rates with industry benchmarks.

The chart above shows that the average visitor to MQL rate can range from 1% to 2.5%, while the visitor to customer rate can vary from .25% to more than 1%. If your business generates less than the targeted number of leads each month, the goal should be to generate more leads! Set the number of leads that will be passed to the marketing team each day, week or month, then review these leads regularly.

SEO vs SEM: The Battle for Web Traffic

By Amber Foster

When it comes to building a strong online presence for your brand, being first place on search engine results should be one of the main goals of the digital marketing team. Brands generally leverage two basic strategies to get in front of target audiences and increase website traffic from search engine listings. 

1) organic search – uses search engine optimization (SEO) to increase your page rankings on search engine listings

2) paid search – uses a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model to display your website listing at the top of the search results based on the keywords you bid for

Search engines will display a mix of organic and paid search results, with the paid listings in the top four positions and bottom two positions of the page. When done right, building content that is optimized for organic listings while allocating a budget for paid search will likely improve your rankings and increase traffic both immediately and over time.

But which of these techniques should your inbound strategy implement to give you the BEST chance that your web pages will be listed at the top of search engine results?

SEO and Organic Search

As I mentioned before, organic search listings are the result of using good SEO techniques. Optimizing your website to improve your page rankings requires content, and lots of it.

The content that you publish on your website won’t get you to number one based on QUANTITY alone. Optimizing your content means that you are also offering information of the highest QUALITY.

A search engine’s job is to find and deliver pages that meet the expectations of searchers, and searchers want the most relevant, authoritative and expert content at the top of the search results. Therefore, your web pages need to be optimized to demonstrate your expertise for both man and machine.

In order for a search engine to find and deliver your web pages at the top of the results, you need to code all of your content so that search engines understand and match your pages to the searcher’s keywords. To learn more about using keywords check out our Keyword Worksheet.

When it comes to SEO efforts, companies often leave out some of the necessary details for building authoritative, optimized content that will effectively reach the target audience. If your website content is not properly optimized, all the efforts put into building that content may not yield a worthwhile return.

More than a decade ago, Google PageRank measured a website’s rank for search engine results. Using a scale ranging from 0-10, Google PageRank would calculate a website’s authority in the areas of content richness, keywords and other SEO elements. Since that time, Google’s algorithms have evolved into far more complex systems.

SEM and Paid Search 

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) refers to  paid online marketing techniques brands use to create a strong web presence on search engines results. When you are first launching a company website, paid search can be the best way to generate traffic to your pages and build brand awareness. Paid Search advertising works by purchasing keywords that your prospect is likely to type into the search bar when looking for your products and services.

When a prospect types your keywords into the search bar, your ads are placed near the top of search engine results. These text ads will often appear right above or just below organic results.

With PPC, you pay a set fee only when your listing is clicked on by someone surfing the web. With the right paid search campaign, you can get cost-effective advertising to help you build your brand on a small budget.

There are many paid search advertising services that you can purchase for your search engine marketing campaigns.

Some common PPC advertising services offered by paid advertising companies include:

  • Daily keyword optimization that determines what keywords are top performers, and then allocates your budget to only the most cost-effective conversions.
  • Precise targeting to prospects within a specific geographical area.
  • Targeting to searchers based on buying behaviors.
  • Different versions of copy based on the media or device type (mobile, pc) searchers are using to surf the web.
  • Digital marketing strategies that place your display and banner ads in the right places and across the best networks.
  • E-commerce campaigns that help bring traffic to your online shopping cart and promote product sales (also called product listing ads, or PLAs).
  • Re-targeting/re-marketing capabilities that use tracking cookies to display your ad to the same prospects over time. Re-targeting helps to reinforce your brand in the mind of the tracked prospect and increase the likelihood that they will buy from you.

Who wins the battle for web traffic?

The Bottom Line: If you have a new website, product or service then PPC advertising can help you increase your web presence as you build the foundation for your inbound strategy, nurture leads and engage with visitors, but it should never replace your SEO efforts.

Online studies and expert opinions across the board agree that long-term SEO efforts will yield the highest returns, conversion rates, and the most qualified leads in comparison to paid search results.

While a significant increase in traffic from your SEO efforts might not happen overnight, it will be worth it over the long term.

Need to check if your content is properly optimized for search? Our SEO Guide and Checklist can help you with SEO and show you opportunities to increase your chances of winning on search engine results.