Now that the warm days are coming to an end, everyone will have to get used to staying in their offices to endure the upcoming winter months. And a friendly reminder, don’t forget about marketing while figuring out next year’s budgets!

Sincerely,
Taylor G. Abbett
President

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest clients: Lyceum Group, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Ed Kress for Sheriff campaign.

We would also like to thank our summer interns Stephanie Maloberti from Penn State University and Rachael Swingle from the University of Pittsburgh. And welcome back former intern April Peconi, now our new Marketing Coordinator.

2007 Giant Eagle Pittsburgh Pet Expo – October 13, 10am-6pm, and October 14, 11am-5pm – David Lawrence Convention Center – Thousands of pets, people and vendors will transcend on the Convention to make this show the BEST ever! Awesome entertainment and some of the most talented and best dressed pets in the area. www.pittsburghpetexpo.com

2007 Pittsburgh Whiskey Fest – November 2, 6pm – Heinz Field – Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, will include a buffet and a silent auction. Tickets are $85 in advance and $95 at the door. For more information, call (412) 281-2681.

Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Holiday Spectacular – November 16-18 – Pittsburgh Expo Mart – The Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival offers over 200 booths of quality arts & crafts featuring some of the nation's finest craftsmen.

Fundraising Strategies
Through innovative technology, we can enable organizations to quickly and easily reach more people, raise more money and operate more efficiently. Tailored Marketing has teamed up with Kintera, a national Internet technology provider, to combine our marketing experience and their online fundraising product into a turn key solution that will help you:

• Acquire more online donations
• Interact more with clients
• Enable donor management
• Facilitate more effective emails and communications
• Manage modern websites
• Run successful events and advocacy programs

Celebrity Connections
Tailored Marketing created a new service, Celebrity Connections, that is dedicated to making a lasting impression when using a spokesperson for a cause. Our agency is adept at finding the right celebrities for your cause, bringing relevant corporate partners to the table, and maximizing your media potential. We go beyond just finding a “name.” We use a three-step process to help your organization identify and leverage the perfect celebrity spokesperson for your needs.

1) Research & Match – Finding the best person to represent your organization and its goals

2) Message – Connecting the mission to the celebrity campaign

3) Market – Getting the message out

I realize the words "marketing budget" are probably two of your least favorite words. But before you run for cover, I encourage you to read this article and take a step in a different direction when it comes to your marketing budget.

I find that many small business owners and solo-professionals struggle when it comes to marketing budgets, for three reasons:

1) They don't have much, if any money, to spend on marketing.

2) They don't know how much they should be spending on marketing.

3) Marketing is an expense they wish they didn't have to incur.

I'd like to offer a different perspective on marketing budgets.

Rather than looking at your marketing budget as a necessary expense, look at it as an investment in your business. What is an investment? It’s money used to generate more money. Marketing done right is an investment because it gets you more clients and sales, and in turn that generates more money. And who better to invest in than yourself, and your business, a business you believe in whole-heartedly?

Where it breaks down for most people is that their marketing is costing them more than it's making them. So it is indeed an expense. If your marketing is currently costing you more than it's returning to your business, then you need to make some changes. How do you know where to make changes? You consult your marketing plan. You must determine which element in your marketing plan is "off." Either you're marketing to the wrong people, your message isn't effective, you haven't clearly established why someone should hire you or buy from you, you're putting your marketing in the wrong places, or you aren't getting your message out frequently enough.

Once you determine the reasons your marketing isn't working, you'll be able to make changes to make it work better. This is why having a marketing plan is so important.

It creates a foundation for your marketing. It gives you something to go back to when things aren't working.

I encourage you to look at your marketing budget with fresh eyes. Look at it as an investment, not as an expense. Consider how you can protect and maximize that investment so it comes back to you ten-fold. And, the best insurance policy I can think of to accomplish this is making sure you have a well-thought-out marketing plan you can follow step-by-step toward success.