Author: Brian

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PRSA Idaho Event: Social Media Marketing and Integrated Campaign Planning

UPDATE: The event location is now confirmed (see below), and we got word this morning that this is now SOLD OUT.

Among other things, the transition from summer to fall means that it’s once again time for the local professional organizations to ramp up their events and activities.

Case in point:

PRSA Idaho is holding their first fall meeting on Tuesday, October 6th from 11:45 – 1:15: Social Media Marketing and Integrated Campaign Planning.

During this discussion-based program, we will address varying degrees of roles for social media in an integrated PR/communications campaign. Topics to be explored include:

  • Social media strategy—How to keep it consistent with the umbrella strategy
  • How to use social media to achieve campaign goals
  • Traditional vs. 2.0—when is one methodology more effective than the other?
  • When is too much too much?
  • Social media measurement—Tools and tips

Also included will be a review of the “What’s the Real Cost” campaign from Regence, the “Stay on Trails” campaign from Idaho Forest Service, BLM and Idaho Parks & Recreation, and the “Cruising the Loop” family trip from Idaho Department of Tourism.

Details are as follows:

Date:  Tuesday, October 6th
Time:  11:45am – 1:15pm
Cost (including lunch):
– Members: $8
– Non-Members: $10
– Students: $6
Location:  TBD, depending on the number of responses The WaterCooler, 1401 W. Idaho St, Boise.

If you’re interested in attending, be sure to RSVP to Robbie Johnson by phone at 208-387-6228, or by email.

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LAST CALL: BAF Golf Tournament Registration

Since we’re all guilty of waiting until the last minute…the last minute is now upon us.

Thursday, October 1st is the last day to register for the BAF Golf Tournament.  If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to get your registration to the BAF folks.

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New Hire at Drake Cooper

Drake Cooper in Boise has added Amanda Sapp to their staff as a Project Manager on their Public Relations team.

Before to joining Drake, she was a Publicist and Marketing Specialist with FRP Books in Nashville, Tennessee, and prior to that was an Editorial Assistant and Feature Writer with LaVie Magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Her undergraduate studies were at Oregon State University, with graduate studies at Louisiana State University.

Congratulations Amanda.

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Guest Post: A Little Market Research Goes a Long Way

The following is a guest post from Dan Bobinski, CEO and Director of The Center for Workplace Excellence.  It was originally published on their site, and reused here with permission.  Dan took me up on the offer when I posed the question Have You Got Something to Say? The offer still stands, if others feel like contributing as well.

When was the last time you conducted market research? I mean REALLY analyzed who buys your products and how much they spend? The information you get from such an exercise is invaluable, yet far too many business owners and sales professionals neglect this activity, because it’s not “urgent.”

This past Friday I spoke to a group of restaurant and vending machine owners about re-inventing themselves in the new economy. Out of the 12 tips that I gave them, the very first one was to create a spreadsheet to identify what products were selling the most, when were they selling well, and who was buying them. You can analyze a lot more than that, but those are the basics.

Many people perceive the process as an academic exercise, and if they just sift through the info, that’s about right. To get the valuable golden nuggets, you have to dig deep into the info, ask a lot of who/what/when/why/how questions, and look for trends. You also have to consider what trends are happening in the market, as well as where your biggest profits are.

I’ve done this with my own business several times and each time the knowledge I gained was more valuable than I could have imagined.

No, it’s not urgent, but it’s SO important. The time you invest will pay itself back many times over.

Have you done this lately? If not, why not do it soon? Everything is changing, and complacency is death to any business. The common saying is that a little market research goes a long way. If that’s too cliché for you, think of it in practical terms: A few adjustments in the right places can make a huge impact on your income.