How can we energize your business? You might take a look at some mini case studies about our big-picture consulting impact
Our work includes pivotal consulting that helps you focus, tweak or reinvent… so you can gain more value from your company's products and services.
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Here are some of those examples, working with large and small companies…
Drafting Success
Renderiffic
An architectural drafting and rendering company was sputtering along, and needed a significant strategic and product development, to match marketplace needs.
Through a combination of…
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strategic direction
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product development
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branding communication to get the company value across to prospects
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executive coaching…
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… client reported business growth of 85% within a year!
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"The business owner says: Joel was more than a branding consultant. His keen eye, expert understanding of marketing and his years of experience not only aided in developing a strong business presence but also made him to be a very beneficial mentor in helping me grow as a person and as a business owner.
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Ultimately, I would recommend Joel a hundred times over
to any new or seasoned business owners that would like to see their business improve further.”
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BIG BLUE IN FOCUS
IBM/CD Group
IBM hired "two and a half" agencies to develop the product launch of their new ecommerce middleware... but was frustrated because their launch kept falling flat…
MarketPower to the rescue! And it really needed rescuing, because the selling points developed by other providers were "off"...and boring.
We created an engaging rebranding and highly-targeted marketing approach that stressed key selling points, delivered by a high-impact 3-part, 3-D direct response mail campaign, and webinar. (The marketing campaign took off with like a rocket ship (okay, it was designed to look like a rocket ship!)...take a look, if you like .
We increased raw leads by 77%, and increased the percentage of qualified “suspects” in this bigger universe from 17% to 38%. While the market for this middleware was limited, our targeted approach got an enthusiastic reaction from the IBM team: "Finally…one of our faster, more successful product rollouts!"
SIGNS OF SUCCESS
Super Signs Super Fast
"Signs In A Day" wasn't getting as much business as competitors. The positioning of its name...was not. what the market expected. Profitable products and markets weren't identified. Retail operations were inefficient and too costly..
The old name reflected slower service that the market expected. The company's owners thought their profits came from a particular consumer product, and they didn't. And this company had better designers doing stronger signage than their competitors.
1) We rebranded with company name. logo. tagline to reflect the product offering with the new branding, which included the tagline — "We make business look good." We flagged the far more profitable business market, and increased business sales by 18% within 5 months.
2) We addressed the consumer and business markets in one stroke — conceived and produced a visual customer-driven order intake system, which enabled an efficient and enjoyable customer experience.. This resulted in an increased retail sales by 14% within just 5 months.
3) And the new retail buying processes we developed brought the company a saving of over 35% of wasted employee overhead costs for business and consumer markets.
BEATING BIGGER COMPETITORS
Macbeth Williams Teleconsulting
A small telecomm hardware firm was having a tough time competing against much larger companies… even though they had superior techies, sales reps, and account people. They just weren't gaining interest with their marketing.
We helped the client rethink the value and impact of their services and presented it to their marketplace.
We did a full rebrand, with stronger strategic market focus, a name tweak, new logo and tagline, collateral, and targeted marketing program..
In just 4 months they gained their first series of international contracts in Brazil, and started a four-year company expansion, with 140% gain in profits.. They — literally — were doing some serious partying in Rio.
LBS APP FROM THE GROUND-UP
GYPSI MOBILE
Four ad agencies tried to brand and launch this unique Location=Based Service startup (3 small agencies, one well-known medium-sized agency) but none of those efforts kept Gypsi strategy and branding from wandering aimlessly...
We moved this app past a Go/No decision on new direction... identified new product features and marketized them. Working strategically with targeted segments, we developed all strategic plans, branding, marketing, and pricing modes for diverse markets...and worked heavily on product development
We reconceived the sales model to be based on distributors... helped develop the first commercial white-label product and sale… and presented to investors in person and online all over the country, enabling a series of private contract sales.
INSURANCE RESCUE
Sandra K. Meltzer & Associates
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The experts in insurance compliance consulting were struggling to keep the doors open after 20+ years, with less than 6 months of working capital and lost business momentum in a changing marketplace.
Our happy client will tell you — we pulled this firm from the brink. We gutted old thinking, discerned and articulated their true expertise, and built back-end planning through our PowerPlanning strategic action plan (business strategy) and major ReBrand.
Once we had our foundation built, we developed targeted marketing programs, trade show marketing... developed a new product (see next example)… and re-energized this firm for over 10 years of growth and enhanced profitability.
DISRUPTIVE DELIVERY
Sandra K.Meltzer & Associates
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This same firm provided excellent customer service into early evening hours, with status updates by phone for a complex matrix of products for client . But there was an unseen opportunity.
The company's work was great, but not quite as accessible to busy clients as they might like, and not keeping up with a world evolving with access to technology. We recommended making internal processes readily available to clients, and making it easier on company consultants, by converting project management systems into 24/7 real-time status dashboard online.
We brought in developers for the back-end and managed that process, worked on graphics and user interface.... and wound up creating a disruptive service in their marketplace that helped re-energize the company. Program helped draw 22% revenue growth with an estimated 30% of new business solely from this differentiation.
REMIXED PRODUCT MIX
[ Confidential Company ]
A local home contracting company was having difficulty competing against larger companies, and was not gaining enough new customers, and not making the profits they wanted.
We analyzed their business to determine the annual sales and profitability of each of their products, and persuaded to drop half of their offerings, which were not profitable enough, or were too time consuming.
We focused on services where they excelled, with more profit, and recommended a targeted networking approach featuring revised product line. In one year, business was up by 18%, by the end of the second year it was up 26% over baseline.
NON-PROFIT TRANSFUSION
Kidush Foundation
A non-profit providing educational support to kids in hospitals, knew it needed brand development. And was also about to make a major investment in a call center to enhance their service.
After consulting and brand refresh, we advised dropping plans and a budget gamble we didn't see paying off… for a long-planned call center. We reasoned that the kids were transient, with schedules disrupted by diagnostics and treatments, so an online on-demand system, would be better..
We recommended a number of different online learning approaches, including online and VR technology, This "service delivery revolution" resulted in "a significant expansion of operational direction and fundraising within just a few months."
EMPOWERED POWER COMPANY
Entergy
Major utility conglomerate couldn't figure out the best ways to get an effective direct response marketing program set up within their marketing department, to contact their customers and capitalize on cross-sell potential. So they hired the "big guns."
Joel had the privilege of working with Direct Response Marketing industry icons Bob Stone and Martin Baier, as we analyzed the organization, processes, and marketing approach of this major conglomerate.
We reengineered the objectives, function, and structure of the budding department, and provided a series of mini-workshops and coaching, helping them move from "untenable". to highly profitable, becoming a fast-expanding multi-million-dollar profit center for the company within 10 months.
ACCOUNTING FOR CHANGE
[ Confidential Company ]
An accounting firm had a vexing problem with confidential client paperwork flow during tax season, Various documents had to be reviewed and circulated, and were spread across desks in the administrative department located in the reception area, Not very confidential.
The accounting firm gave us carte blanche. We designed a "time/motion" logistics system that kept all confidentiaL while allowing for fast access to "files in progress" - it was called "simple and ingenious," conceived and completed in two days, boosting efficiency during their critical season "by a third or more."
Hotel Chain Takes Flight...Fast!
Best Western and American Airlines wanted to join forces with their Frequency Marketing Programs. The partnering ad agency needed a trustworthy, skilled agency consultant/partner to "run with it."
We worked on developing launch strategy, full creative concept and content, and tight production schedule and management.
Deliverables included detailed Front Desk Guide manual, and a wide range of promotional materials and premiums -- inflatable airplanes to banners to tabletop displays. In just 45 very long days. Considered a major creative and logistical success.. .
NOSEDIVE REVERSED
AVENGE
Avenge, a specialized American Cyanamid herbicide, was about to be phased-out, it wasn't meeting sales projections. However two product managers thought it had potential, and asked for a last-ditch attempt to save the product.
We studied their market and how they used our herbicide — who knew we would become wheat farming experts?!
While some in the company thought a slightly wider geographic approach would help gain sales, we thought the product needed a narrower geographic focus and messaging. We did that, plus brand refresh, integrated tactics, impactful p.o.p. advertising, billboards, and a targeted direct response marketing campaign.
This "newly-acquired farming expertise" of ours saved the product from phaseout, delivering a "stunning 29% increase in market share"... in just one season.
ENSURING MAJOR SUCCESS
Canada Life
Sales and marketing of this international firm weren't working well together, caused by near-adversarial internal communication, fuzzy branding, and ineffective marketing.
This movie line from "Cool Hand Luke, describes the issue: "What we've got here is failure to communicate." The silo's were quite territorial — we got them to say howdy. We facilitated frank sales and marketing strategic "summit" discussions, which were called "the most productive meetings we've had in 8 years."
From there, we figured out what was needed -- and produced a company brand refresh, a series of "products refresh" to clarify product benefits and communicate them more effectively, sales incentive program for brokers, and targeted corporate marketing.
MarketPower enabled Canada Life to compete successfully with Unum, their biggest competitor (#1 industry leader at the time), and increased broker participation by 31%.
(Additional percentage increases and profitability based on product lines are protected by client confidentiality agreement.)
What are you dealing with now, that should be getting greater impact... or that's draining your energy and efficiency...what results would you like to create?
Response Campaigns follow… but just for fun…some unusual vignettes from diving into our strategy, branding, and marketing programs:
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Diving into programs for specialized products and services, where few experts exist — and killing it. Such as an asbestos removal garment for Kinlerly-Clark… and a wild oat herbicide for American Cyanamid​
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Speaking "mime language" in a script, and writing a musical score for a promotional video for Equifax
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Helping a company with a mobile fleet completely re-invent itself post-Covid, with 3 months of just doing 3X-weekly strategic whiteboarding, thinking through innovative ways of providing company services, recruiting programs, compensation, and developing a culture based on real partnership
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Designing the interface and developing the branding for a "hand-held consumer electronics device" that tracks health and fitness
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Promote CSX Transportation's "Big Orange" freight service which delivered fresh oranges, perishables, and rush items from Florida, by mailing a promotion in a 3-D orange juice container
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Having the mission statement we developed for Canada Life, an international insurance company, literally engraved in stone in their lobby…
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… and having one of our all-time favorite taglines of all time, for FilmTribe, engraved on their walls in vinyl: "We shoot it. We kill It. Your audience eats it up."
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Working with a "sound therapist" to reinvent an unusual process of treatments incorporating Tibetan bowls and high-tech biofeedback
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Working with a management consultant in Russia on an international business… before their egocentric lunatic president attacked Ukraine
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Working with a remarkably diverse range of businesses — from laughter yoga to management consultants (they're different!)… Hawaiian gourmet coffee to multi-state power company… a solopreneur who manufactures giant trade show props to international telecommunications.
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Defended marketing recommendations against aggressive attack of a multi-billionaire (who apparently liked to "test" his team and sycophant consultants), who liked the direction and integrity so much that he broke his rule about hating consultants, and invited Joel to his home to discuss further during an impromptu 3-hour lunch and consulting session, starting with a (really good) tuna sandwich he made for Joel from his refrigerator…
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… and other business and marketing adventures!
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Mini Case Studies
Response-Oriented Marketing Campaigns
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Email, direct mail, and social media marketing campaigns can be measured, if you have good systems in place, and after a while we can roughly predict results.
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Many factors influence results — database used, frequency of contact, how recently you've been in touch, past purchases, the Offer/CTA used, creative marketing messaging, formats and printing techniques, ease of response, and more.
Here are a few examples of the results of our strategic and creative approaches in our marketing campaigns…
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Kimberly-Clark — Conceived and produced integrated advertising, with double-truck and single-page ads, advertorials, direct mail,email, billing inserts, and press releases, for an asbestos removal garment that turned a hoped-for 5% increase in sales into a 19% increase, with a 39% increase in product name recognition.
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Physician Sourcing & Search — Developed series of powerful lead generation programs at a physician search firm with strong offers and reengineered marketing communications that increased net revenues by 18% within 5 months.
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Verizon/AirTouch — Developed unconventional tactics, offer and creative execution that achieved what the client called a “jaw-dropping” 34% response, for a customer retention program aimed at heavy-user customer segment.
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Attorney’s Title Insurance Fund — Produced a “phenomenal” 37% response rate within first two weeks on a membership renewal program for a professional attorneys association.
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Erdas/Leica Software — Conceived and produced integrated promotions for geographical mapping software company, via educational seminars and annual conference, increasing cross-sell leads for previously-marketed services by 23% over 8 months.
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HomeVestors — Developed marketing input sessions, tactics, and direct marketing creative tests for a major real estate operation that increased lead response over the control package by 55% on the first mailing.
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American Marketing Association — Co-conceived, co-produced, branded and and marketed a cutting-edge interactive marketing exposition for a marketing trade association. Redeveloped the content and focus of this major event to meet the interests of the target audience turning a first-year projected loss of $8,000 into a profit of $14,000, and making it “the most successful-ever event, in terms of program, attendance and profits.”
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Dataman — Delivered 300% increase in response for national database company on targeted marketing program attributed solely to creative execution.
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"You got me all charged up," you say, "gimme more perspective on strategy, branding, marketing, and you consulting programs…"
A unique and powerful strategic approach to brand identity and development that will energize your business!
PowerPlanning Business Strategy
When you want fast and comprehensive Strategic Action Plan for business strategy, branding, and consulting to supercharge your business
Want to get a better sense of this brilliant thinking approach…and some of its potential applications?
Just click and ask for the 15-page pdf from this breakthrough book, which will absolutely illuminate your perspective
