In a typical interview, we ask a prospective client to discuss their business, seeking definitive answers to these key questions:

• What customer problem does your business solve? How do you know?
   
• Who has this problem? How do you know?
   
• Why and how does your product or service solve this problem?
   
• How does your customer pay for your solution?
   
• What does your product offer that the customer can get nowhere else?
   
• What is the one key benefit of the product?

The objective is to develop hard market data from which we derive our advertising strategy.

This work produces what we call a “strategic brief,” a description of who your customers are, why they should do business with you, and how valuable you can be to them. From here, we look at the possibilities -- the potential for doing more business. Since we’re a marketing communications specialist, we examine your present advertising messages. How well do you communicate your proposition? How do you reach your target markets (what media do you use?) How is your advertising performing?

This may require additional effort in the form of market research. If your budget permits, we collaborate with expert researcher and strategist, Jeff Haugen of Left Brain Concepts, Inc. The objective is to develop hard market data from which we derive our advertising strategy. Often, this approach pays for itself through better advertising performance which creates more rapid market penetration, greater pricing leverage and the opportunities to up and cross sell to under served market segments.