Creative ideas and innovative thinking are critical to our success. Every year, Castle rings in the New Year with a contest we like to call “The Thing.” Everyone gets an art project to work with and can take it any direction they wish. This year, the material of choice was Wikki Stix: a fancy name for wax-covered string. While some creations fell short of greatness — such as Mark’s model of the DNA chain or Sarah’s plate of spaghetti — others, such as Linda’s multimedia movie trailer, took the contest to another level. Linda cast herself as director of a dark thriller starring the very characters she created. Catch the preview here.
Archive for March 3rd, 2009
The “Thing”
Posted by thecastlegroup on March 3, 2009
Posted in fun stuff and more | Tagged: Castle, The Castle Group, YouTube | Leave a Comment »
The Simple Things
Posted by thecastlegroup on March 3, 2009
A colleague recently said, “In difficult times, there are those who cry, and there are those who sell handkerchiefs.” While some of our clients are scaling back in 2009, some are staying the course, others are increasing their budgets, and still others are shifting marketing tactics due to changing goals. Regardless of how your company is faring right now, every company needs to take a hard look at expenses. Yet even if you’re downsizing, there are straightforward marketing recommendations to consider:
1. Long lead times.
The efforts you put forth today can yield significant results six months from now. If your product needs to be featured in monthly magazines during the spring or summer, you have to make it happen now. The news and event cycle will pass you by if you ignore long-lead opportunities.
The efforts you put forth today can yield significant results six months from now. If your product needs to be featured in monthly magazines during the spring or summer, you have to make it happen now. The news and event cycle will pass you by if you ignore long-lead opportunities.
2. PR is not a one-shot deal.
PR works best when there are both long- and short-term corporate goals included in the program. We once had a client that ended his contract with us because we “did such a great job getting the company visibility” that he “didn’t need us anymore.” Guess what? The visibility ebbed away and he came back.
PR works best when there are both long- and short-term corporate goals included in the program. We once had a client that ended his contract with us because we “did such a great job getting the company visibility” that he “didn’t need us anymore.” Guess what? The visibility ebbed away and he came back.
3. Good news is suddenly news.
If you communicate momentum, your targets will see momentum. I just read a news brief about a company that secured $1 million in financing. A number that low would never have hit the press last year. Further, one of our clients recently hired 12 people and had two banks vying to offer them a significant line of credit. That certainly wouldn’t have been newsworthy a year ago, but it is today.
If you communicate momentum, your targets will see momentum. I just read a news brief about a company that secured $1 million in financing. A number that low would never have hit the press last year. Further, one of our clients recently hired 12 people and had two banks vying to offer them a significant line of credit. That certainly wouldn’t have been newsworthy a year ago, but it is today.
3. Leaner times can create internal opportunities.
If business is slow, you may have talented staff who can be redeployed to support marketing objectives: a salesperson with the soul of a writer or an IT person with a creative flair who can improve your website or collateral.
If business is slow, you may have talented staff who can be redeployed to support marketing objectives: a salesperson with the soul of a writer or an IT person with a creative flair who can improve your website or collateral.
4. Bring your audience to you.
Think about your office or retail space. Can you create opportunities — seminars, roundtable discussions, networking events — in your office and invite colleagues, customers and prospects? Face-to-face communications can still be the best marketing tool there is.
Think about your office or retail space. Can you create opportunities — seminars, roundtable discussions, networking events — in your office and invite colleagues, customers and prospects? Face-to-face communications can still be the best marketing tool there is.
5. Get out…do more.
Go to networking events and conferences. Leverage your memberships beyond event attendance; meet with association executives to see whether you might be able to be an event speaker or moderator. You’ll get visibility through the sponsoring organization AND have opportunity for that face-to-face at the same time.
Go to networking events and conferences. Leverage your memberships beyond event attendance; meet with association executives to see whether you might be able to be an event speaker or moderator. You’ll get visibility through the sponsoring organization AND have opportunity for that face-to-face at the same time.
6. Consider your assets.
Do you have a creative presentation that can be repurposed for your website, as a bylined article, and as a speaker abstract? Take inventory of the marketing materials that already exist and creatively leverage them to create new opportunities.
Do you have a creative presentation that can be repurposed for your website, as a bylined article, and as a speaker abstract? Take inventory of the marketing materials that already exist and creatively leverage them to create new opportunities.
7. Partner wisely.
Consider a marketing co-opportunity (event sponsorship, co-authored op-ed, online promotion) with a non-competing organization that targets similar audiences. You can leverage your marketing dollars by sharing resources and achieving a similar goal together.
Consider a marketing co-opportunity (event sponsorship, co-authored op-ed, online promotion) with a non-competing organization that targets similar audiences. You can leverage your marketing dollars by sharing resources and achieving a similar goal together.
8. Review your online presence.
This is a good time to make the most of your image online. Make sure you’re maximizing SEO opportunities, posting new materials to your site, participating in online groups through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, Twittering and blogging. All free, and all marketing.
Be the company that’s making the most of this downturn. To revisit the saying referenced earlier, sell handkerchiefs. B2B and consumer demand still exists — the winners will be those that best continue to meet those demands. If you can afford to maintain or increase your visibility, your handkerchiefs will look pretty good amongst all those tears.
This is a good time to make the most of your image online. Make sure you’re maximizing SEO opportunities, posting new materials to your site, participating in online groups through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, Twittering and blogging. All free, and all marketing.
Be the company that’s making the most of this downturn. To revisit the saying referenced earlier, sell handkerchiefs. B2B and consumer demand still exists — the winners will be those that best continue to meet those demands. If you can afford to maintain or increase your visibility, your handkerchiefs will look pretty good amongst all those tears.
Posted in PR | Tagged: creative assets, events, Facebook, LinkedIn, marketing, network, PR, Twitter | Leave a Comment »
Incentive travel’s white knight?
Posted by thecastlegroup on March 3, 2009
As the government comes down on TARP-funded companies for their incentive programs, U.S. Travel (the former TIA) has issued a set of responses on behalf of the meeting industry. The organization has done a really terrific job inserting commentary into the media and changing the focus from TARP companies gone wild to the real value of incentive programs.
I know Castle has a vested interest in the success of the industry, but is it really so hard to understand that a well-executed incentive or meeting actually drives business, leading to revenue which then stimulates the economy?
Read below for a sample of recent media coverage on the issues and the impact on the meetings industry:
Hawaii hotelier asks Obama for an important favor
Pacific Business News
By Jim George
March 2, 2009
Gibson understands that the incentive-travel pot is an easy target for corporate executives struggling to balance budgets. What he doesn’t understand is why the national media and government at large continue to give travel to Hawaii a negative connotation.
“There’s a perception problem,” he says.
http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/03/02/editorial3.html?b=1235970000%5E1786209
It’s Time To Fight AIG Effect
Hotels Magazine
By Jeff Weinstein
March 1, 2009
It all started when insurance industry giant American International Group (AIG) was blasted by Congress last fall for spending US$440,000 on an executive retreat at the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, in California after being bailed out with taxpayer money. Now this event has become a symbol of excess and greed, in many ways forcing meeting planners and corporate executives to find other solutions, and other venues, to conduct business.
http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/CA6639669.html?industryid=47565
MPI Launches New Web Resource To Emphasise The Value of Meetings in Crisis Time
Focus on Travel News
By Ozgur Tore
March 2, 2009
MPI is also part of a coalition of organizations including American Hotel and Lodging Association, Destination Marketing Association International, International Association of Exhibitions and Events, National Business Travel Association, Maritz Travel, Professional Convention Management Association, SITE (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives) and U.S. Travel Association that also emerged to unify the industry behind a common message to regulators and media.
http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/5165/29/lang,english/
Travel Leaders Shows How to Travel in a Tough Economy
Travel Agent
March 2, 2009
“As one of America’s largest industries, travel and tourism is the vital lifeblood that courses through our nation’s veins. Continued corporate and leisure travel strongly contributes to a healthier economy,” stated Block. “While we can appreciate and understand why many individuals may be reconsidering their travel plans, our Travel Leaders nationally are advising their clients on the most effective ways to stretch their dollars for maximum value.”
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/consortia/travel-leaders-shows-how-travel-tough-economy-13433
Posted in Events & Incentives | Tagged: Castle, incentives, meetings, TIA, U.S. Travel | 1 Comment »
