As part of our 3rd year in business celebrations, we have launched a new web site that includes many new features:
To our families, friends, clients & associates — Thanks for your support, much appreciated. Cheers, The Hutchins Crang Team
Some of you may have noticed that our navigation buttons at the top of our BLOG page direct you to a site offline page. We are in the process of completing a new web site which will launch sometime in May 2009.
New features will include:
The Hutchins Crang Team.
Some of our start-up clients have asked us. Why do I need a marketing communications plan? Can’t I “just-do-it?” Just-doing-it meaning, tackling the requirements as they come up. The short answer is, yes, you can just do it, but probably shouldn’t. There are many problems that result from the “just-do-it” approach to marketing communications. They include lack of focus & direction, inconsistency in approach, loss of program momentum and pressures on the budget.
A well thought-out marketing communications plan supports the objectives laid out in your business plan. It allows you to focus your marketing and corporate communications, making sure that all activities work together to support the big picture and fit within your budget. The strategy is very important because you are building the components of your company (brand, identity, and everything in between) And in doing so, your plan needs to put the required pieces in place at the right time.
So, what’s a marketing communication plan?
A marketing communications plan, also known as a tactical marketing communication plan, is a written document that lays out your promotional and communication tactics and identifies collateral material requirement to support your tactics within a specified budget, over a period of time. The plan answers the basic question, how am I going to make potential customers aware of my company, products, or services? A plan helps you determine the most effective means of distributing your company’s messages to prospects and stakeholders.
What are the basic steps to creating
an effective marketing communications plan?
First, make sure you have a sharp pencil and a good eraser.
What activities should a tactical plan include?
1. Tactics - intangible activities that you want to do or participate in and what capacity:
2. Collateral - tangible things that you need to have in place to support your tactics:
What should I be looking for?
You want the biggest bang for your buck. You want to reach as many real prospects as you can. You want to use the tactics that will give you the best results. You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Consider building in some flexibility - what would happen if circumstances were to freeze or decrease the budget?
How much should be spent on a tactical program?
There is no rule that says how much you should spend on a tactical program. It really depends on your company and your goals. Typically, a company’s marketing budget is based upon a percentage of forecast revenue (1-3 percent). For start-ups, a marketing communications plan is usually budgeted within their business plan and may include some of the basic requirement to get the business out of the gate fast:
If you would like more information regarding marketing communications planning please contact us.
Trying to get your business plan pricing together? Need ballpark pricing? Contact us for a free no obligation quotation.
If you’re a start-up company, be sure to check out our special Kick-Start Program for start-up and developing companies.
Ted Hutchins, Creative Director, CEO
With the world economy literally in transition, there’s much more focus on new business development activity and the development of new technology ventures. We certainly see that in both of our locations in Ottawa and Ann Arbor.
If you’re involved with a start-up or an emerging technology company, you definitely have your hands full with planning, funding, operational, sales, and other issues. Generally, a marketing plan is a part of this mix, too – it better be! But even when a company has its own marketing manager, it’s often difficult to execute an effective marketing campaign that establishes and builds the brand while developing awareness and supporting sales.
Realizing this, Hutchins Crang has developed two new services that are specifically designed to help small companies establish their identity and get the word out - with help and advice from B2B technology marketing experts!
Our Marketing Kick Start Plan includes logo design, message development, identity materials, a brochure, and a content-managed web site - for one low price.
Our Public Relations Kick Start Plan includes development of a company backgrounder and FAQs, executive bios, a PR/news contact list and editorial planner that are relevant to your business, and the development of your first company and product press releases. Again, all for one flat fee.
You won’t find any of this on our web site - yet. So if you’re interested, contact us.
Steve Crang, Corporate Communications, President
Marketing your specialized product or service to engineers, scientists, and other technical buyers requires the right balance of strategic thinking, technical understanding, and creativity. When you need help with technical marketing, you need an agency with a proven, applicable track record. That’s not easy to find!
At Hutchins Crang Marketing Group, we’re B2B technology marketing communications experts. We understand the nature of the technical sell and the strategic objectives you want to reach. We can help you get there – with high-value, bottom-line driven solutions that make sense and produce results.
Our new blog is intended to be a resource that will address marketing communications issues and questions from developing companies and start-ups… stay tuned.
The Hutchins Crang Team.