New Jersey Enterpreneur - Small Business, Entrepreneurs and Venture Capital

Quick story: In 2005, Mitchell Rose conducted a self-promotion that included mailing a 30-inch match to our top prospects. The match was mailed in a bright red box with a letter and brochure. The promotion generated a 20% response rate and new clients.

We applied our own results-based creative approach to generate new business.

Jump forward 24 months. Recently, one of those prospects reached out to us, let us know the match has sat on his desk for 2 years and told us he is ready to explore partnering with Mitchell Rose.

That made for a long sales cycle, but it highlights the muscle of a powerful promotion.

I share this not to toot my own horn, but to demonstrate two crucial considerations in a business’ branding strategy: Consistency and Continuous Effort.

During those 24 months, we’ve continuously positioned our service as a way to ignite results. Our results-based creative helps distinguish Mitchell Rose. And we never waiver from that differentiating factor.

Had we developed new branding and tag lines every so many months as some firms do, prospects may not have realized we’re the same company.

The point is simple: When you apply these 2 Cs of marketing, you’ll make a powerful impact on your promotional and advertising efforts. You’ll generate a greater return on your objectives.

Let’s start with consistency. It’s crucial for an entrepreneur to stay on message as he or she launches and promotes a business. In the political arena, we see this done very well. Regardless of what a politician is asked, she tends to bridge back to the point she wants to make. Your marketing tools should do the same. Bridge prospects, venture capitalists and customers back to your differentiating – yet consistent – message.

When people are hit with inconsistent messages, it makes it tougher for them to understand what you sell, what you want them to do and why they should buy from you rather than a competitor. That non-clarity hurts your results.

So when developing marketing communications, make sure your sales literature looks like it all comes from the same company. To often, people have a Web presence and a print presence that conflict. You also want to look at your campaign themes and creative concepts. Make sure they carry across various media you are using. And finally, check out what you say. You don’t have to use the same words all the time, but you do need to make sure the message and benefit statements are consistent.

The best part of consistency is that it creates the illusion of even greater frequency. And the more people hear your message, the sooner they’ll react to it.

As for the second C, Continuous Effort, simply remember you need to continue to hit your prospects on a regular, frequent basis. You can’t just send out a solo message and hope it sticks at the forefront of someone’s thinking.

You’ve got to harp.

You’ve got to repeat.

You’ve got to reach out and touch a prospect many times before she takes the bait.

Marketing must be a continual process to be successful. Think about it this way. You may sell a product or service people don’t need regularly. But when they do need you…they need to be able to find you in a hurry. A continuous marketing program helps keep you at the forefront of their thinking.

This approach can certainly increase your budget a little. But it doesn’t mean you have to spend enough to do something every day. You need to invest enough to maintain a presence on a regular basis. And while it may increase your budget, you’ll be spending more effectively and generating a greater return on your investment.

You’ll better achieve your objectives.

Consistency and Continuous Effort are the two Cs of marketing that can dramatically improve your success. Keep them in mind as you plan your strategy and ponder creative decisions about each new promotional opportunity.