ROI was chosen to produce the 2024 annual reports for two leading corporations: Danaher, the global life sciences and diagnostics innovator, and Iridium, the global satellite communications trailblazer providing access to voice and data services from and to anywhere on Earth.
These newborn ARs are here, looking good, and Team ROI is delighted to have helped with the delivery. Special thanks our clients for the work and to the incredibly gifted folks on my team – VP, Creative, Sean Causley; Art Director Carolyn Belefski, and VP, Client Services Tina Ashkouri – for doing that thing you do!
Volunteering at DC Central Kitchen
Team ROI recently had the opportunity to volunteer at DC Central Kitchen on December 16, 2024, joining hands to prepare meals for those in need. The team, including Jack Dalby, Tina Ashkouri, Sean Causley, Carolyn Belefski, and myself, engaged in a fulfilling experience contributing to DC Central Kitchen's impactful mission.
DC Central Kitchen, spearheaded by visionary leaders like founder Robert Egger and current CEO Mike Curtin, stands as a beacon of hope for the less fortunate in our community. What started as a noble initiative to repurpose surplus food into nourishing meals for the homeless has blossomed into a comprehensive program offering culinary job training and career opportunities to those in need. The organization's commitment to feeding the hungry and empowering individuals through hospitality industry skill-building is inspirational.
During our time at DC Central Kitchen, we immersed ourselves in tasks like preparing generous portions of chicken breasts, a small yet meaningful gesture that resonated deeply with us. The sense of fulfillment in directly contributing to DCCK's cause was profound, reminding us of the importance of giving back to our community.
If your team is seeking a rewarding volunteer experience, I encourage you to explore opportunities with DC Central Kitchen at DCCK.org. Join us in making a difference and supporting this remarkable organization dedicated to serving those in need.
Marketing agencies love to win creative awards – and why not? It’s validation of good thinking and good work hard won.
ROI has won a lot over our 30+ years of service. But, for my money (and remember, I’m on the agency side!), the real award/reward for good work is (drum roll, please!) ... Client Retention. The national average for client retention among marketing agencies large and small is about 3.2 years. We’ve been a tad more fortunate - ROI enjoys a client retention average of nearly nine years.
In the aggressively competitive world of marketing, the spotlight often shines on acquiring new clients and the splash of new work done for them. Yes, new business is essential for growth. But the real trophy is building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients. That's the rock-solid proof of successful marketing efforts that in turn reflect an agency’s bottom-line financial health and staying power.
ROI’s strategies for maintaining healthy client relationships transcend simply delivering great creative on brand, time, and budget and making strategically spot-on media buys. We regularly go above and beyond in customer service, listening and reacting to client feedback, addressing concerns promptly, and striving to deliver exceptional experiences consistently.
Educating clients about the breadth and depth of our services and capabilities will always remain a challenge. Over time, folks get used to asking for the work they regularly need, and sometimes don’t know that they can ask for more. One client of many years recently was surprised to learn of the range and sophistication of interactive corporate communications media we produce for other clients. “I never thought to ask,” was the response. What a good reminder to keep apprising all our clients of all that we do!
In marketing, client retention is the ultimate testament to the effectiveness of your strategic thinking and doing. Yes, clients will come, and they will go, sometimes despite one’s best efforts. But remaining cognizant about and focused on retaining clients has (I think, I hope!) transformed how my businesses approach marketing—from a transactional mindset to a relationship-oriented one. By prioritizing client satisfaction and loyalty, my agency (and your business, whatever it is, can) regularly harvests the rewards of sustained growth and goodwill from a loyal customer base.
In the end, the true REWARD for good work is not just AN AWARD or the acquisition of new clients, but the lasting relationships built over time with the clients you already have.
Like what you read? Let's connect and talk about how ROI can help deliver for you, year after year: http://calendly.com/roiadvertising
Brand marketing is the solution to the problem
Huh?
Well, I just had a client prosect tell me that he didn’t need to spend money on branding. He saw that as an expense and not an investment. Wrong! Owners of businesses, large and small, often think they can get by without investing in brand marketing… until they absolutely can’t. It becomes critical when traffic and sales never gain momentum, or after a period of stability, they start to dwindle. In both scenarios, the root issue often lies in low marketplace awareness: If potential customers don’t know who you are, what you offer, why what you offer has value, or where to find you, you’re sunk. At its core, effective marketing isn’t just about pushing products or services. It’s about understanding and addressing the real challenges your customers face. Marketing that resonates begins with identifying a problem, then positioning your offering as the solution that directly aligns with the customer’s needs and desires. This problem-solution approach is what shifts marketing from simply selling to truly creating value.
For example, rather than focusing solely on a product’s features, successful campaigns emphasize how those features solve a specific issue for the customer. Whether the benefit is convenience, cost savings, or emotional relief, the message must directly connect to how it improves the customer’s life. A feature is just a feature until you clearly explain how it benefits your audience.
But identifying the problem isn’t enough; marketers must articulate the solution in a way that genuinely resonates with their target audience. This requires a deep understanding of customer frustrations and presenting a clear, compelling demonstration of how your solution outperforms the other guys (Differentiation). The messaging should create a narrative where the customer sees your brand as a trusted partner – THE trusted partner – in solving their challenges.
Ultimately, the success of your marketing efforts hinges on this alignment. The alternative is shouting “SALE!” until you turn blue, but that will only get you so far. When a business can identify a problem, deeply understand it, and position its product as the best solution, it builds credibility and trust. This leads to stronger customer relationships, increased loyalty, and sustainable growth in both sales and brand equity in a way that drives long-term success.
There’s more to the subject than LinkedIn allows room for – Wanna chat? Send me a message.
Ooops...I did it again!
With a special nod to Britney Spears – or maybe it's to the old children's book, The Little Engine That Could" – once again, little ROI came to play with the big boys and made the Washington Business Journal's 2024 Book of Lists among the top agencies in the marketplace.
Special thanks to my VERY special team – more like a family – and the incredible, thoughtful, SMART! work they churn out, the media plans and campaigns that hit the mark every time, and all the hours spent making sure that I don't screw things up.
They rock! I'm proud and honored to be among them.
ROI's Happy NFL Anniversary
“It was 20 years ago today …” No, not the start of the Beatle’s Sgt. Pepper, but something just as fun for me and my team at ROI strategic brand marketing (www.roiadvertising.com).
At the time, we were the direct agency for the Washington Commanders’ predecessor (name not to be mentioned), helping them promote sales of suites and Club seats. Through a lucky break, the National Football League was developing the strategy for the launch of a new promotion – Extra Points®-- the first-ever, Visa® rewards card for earning points to exchange for NFL- and individual team-related merchandise and, with enough points accumulated, NFL experiences, including Super Bowl trips. (I’ll take two please!)
As luck would have it, our client at the team, former VP of Marketing Jason Baum, and close friend and marketing consultant, Ann Marshall Schweitzer, heard that the NFL’s Erica Klair was looking for a branding agency to set the tone and imagery for all related Extra Points®-related traditional and digital marketing materials.
ROI’s assignment was to create a comprehensive marketing toolkit for use by the League and all 32 teams, -- a “promotion in a box” providing each NFL team and the NFL with easily customizable, digital, and traditional (radio scripts, print ads, Visa™ card applications, and more) media for promoting Extra Points® card sign-ups in their home markets.
We responded (in six weeks, soup to nuts) with the complete, award-winning, Extra Points® Toolkit (you can see one – a true museum piece -- at www.roiadvertising.com, featuring NFL-branded, yet-customizable (by team), materials needed to excite, engage, and sell prospects on the program and the card. All media creative was provided with simple instructions and digital art files for customizing and producing all the media (remember, each team has its own signature color palette and graphics), enabling quick, hassle-free production of advertising materials.
Per Erica Klair, our NFL client, the Extra Points® card program launch was a “huge success.” In the program’s first six months, more than 100,000 new, Extra Points® cardholders were acquired by the individual teams and the NFL. Today, 10 years later, the Extra Points® program is alive, well, and still rewarding tens of thousands of fans with value, quality merchandise, and awesome experiences that get them what they truly want … to be as close to the game and their teams as possible. If you're an avid, pro football fan like I am, don't pass ... Visit https://lnkd.in/ePCKn-hB and get in the Extra Points(R) game!
THE NFL EXTRA POINTS CREDIT CARD: www.nflextrapoints.com
What can a marketing agency do for my business that I can't do myself?
A marketing agency can offer a range of specialized services, professional experience and expertise, demonstrable successes, and dispassionate analysis of the marketing challenges you face in your competitive arena and viable solutions to consider. All that and more that comes with agency services may be challenging to replicate independently.
First and foremost, marketing agencies large and small are staffed by professionals with diverse skills and experience in various aspects of marketing, such as digital marketing, research, traditional and social media planning/buying/management, content creation, etc. This collective knowledge allows them to develop comprehensive and tailored strategies to effectively promote your business.
Moreover, marketing agencies have access to advanced tools, research, and technologies that can streamline processes, analyze data, and track campaign performance. These resources enable them to make data-driven decisions and optimize marketing efforts for better results. Additionally, agencies often have established relationships with media outlets, influencers, and other industry partners, which can help amplify your brand's reach and visibility.
Furthermore, marketing agencies stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices in the ever-evolving marketing landscape. By leveraging their industry insights and market research, they can adapt strategies quickly to capitalize on emerging opportunities and stay ahead of competitors.
Overall, partnering with a marketing agency can provide your business with a competitive edge, creative solutions, and a dedicated team focused on achieving your marketing goals. While you may have some marketing knowledge and skills, the expertise, resources, and strategic approach that a marketing agency brings can elevate your brand and drive growth in ways that may be challenging to achieve independently.
The phrase “ethical advertising” is not a non-sequitur
In many polls across many years, Americans continue ranking advertising executives among the least ethical of all professionals (usually only behind politicians, car salesmen, and telemarketers).
Still? Damn those “Madmen”! They’re the ones who started the BS train rolling! As a 40+-year marketing professional committed to keeping hyperbole and downright lying out of everything I or my teams produce, it’s daunting to know that so many people may look at the work we do for our clients and still think we’re trying to sell ‘em a bridge in Brooklyn.
For a brand to have lasting trust and credibility in its marketplace, truth, and ethics in advertising must be top-of-the-list-paramount to maintaining long-term relationships with consumers. Break that trust and you may be able to fight your way back (Think Wells Fargo) or you may not (Think Theranos, my personal favorite). At its core, keeping one’s marketing and sales promotion compass pointing directly to “ethical restraint” will save and profit them more across the long-term by applying the “Golden Rule” and respecting the intelligence and autonomy of their audience. This approach not only fosters long-term consumer trust but also contributes to a healthier marketplace where fair competition thrives.
THE fundamental ethical principle in advertising is truthfulness. Advertisers – including those who love their offering and think it’s the next best thing to sliced bread and those who know they’re exaggerating to the extreme – must care! that their claims about products or services are accurate and substantiated. Misleading advertisements are cheating, plain and simple. They not only deceive consumers but also erode trust and assault brand reputations in the long run. These days, in particular, when so much more is known about goods and services and when consumers are likelier than ever to mistrust ad claims, transparency goes hand in hand with truthfulness, as target audiences increasingly value knowing the full story behind what they are buying. This includes being open about pricing, ingredients, sourcing, and the environmental or social impact of products.
And, hey … are you emailing your in-house list every other day? Don’t! Respecting consumers’ privacy is another critical consideration that falls under the ethics category. Those of us marketing for brands small and large are ethically obligated to handle consumers’ data responsibly, ensuring compliance with privacy laws and giving users control over their information. And I hope it goes without saying that harvesting unauthorized contact data is a big no-no that can breach trust in your brand and maybe also bury you in a lawsuit.
Additionally, the necessity for/commitment to ethical advertising extends to the broader impact of marketing strategies on society. Advertisers just simply can’t promote harmful products or perpetuate racial, gender, or any other stereotypes that target vulnerable groups. That’s bullying and nothing more!. The job of responsible advertising campaigns is to drive awareness, interest, and engagement among targeted audiences, while as much as possible, uplifting and educating.
The bottom line? When consumers perceive a brand as trustworthy and ethical and the reality of that brand pays off on that perception, they are most likely to develop strong brand loyalty and advocate for the brand. Ultimately, ethical advertising not only benefits consumers and brands but also contributes to a more ethical and sustainable marketplace.
Too preachy? Apologies – I just hate being grouped in with pols, telemarketers, et. al. Want to chat more on the subject? Shoot me a note.