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Tough times demand a smarter marketing strategy

July 2, 2009 – 10:25 am
Is your business using cost effective email marketing? Everyone hates telemarketers. So much so, that, in 2003 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created the National Do Not Call Registry. Similarly, mailboxes up and down the Route 422 corridor are bursting with mail that people don't want. Now, in the digital age, fortunes are being made by proposing the elimination of stuff we don't want in our email inbox. What's a direct marketer to do? Email filtering programs at the server and client level can ameliorate the problem somewhat but none are completely effective. The problem is that the vast majority of spam is useless junk, so logically, we need to start with developing email marketing messages that are valuable to the consumers on your list. Follow the rules of development and submission so that your email is not tagged as spam. No matter what content it contains, if it breaks one or more rules, ...

Posted in Internet, Todd Palmer, advertising, branding, copy writing, domain names, identity, marketing, marketing plan, naming, newsletters, positioning | No Comments »

Summertime Illustration

June 10, 2009 – 1:30 pm
A request to parody a famous revolutionary war image for a lacrosse tournament quickly turned into a whole lot more, including a lost weekend...  CHECK OUT THE REST OF VFC'S PORTFOLIO

Posted in Todd Palmer, event marketing, illustration, sports | No Comments »

Improved marketing to the improvement-minded

June 3, 2009 – 3:14 pm
The time is right to attract ambitious consumers interested in saving According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the official arbiter of recessions, the current recession began in December 2007 and the reality of the overall economic impact throughout the country has everyone cutting back. No matter what tax bracket you're in there's little doubt that your behavior has changed and you're proactively trying to find ways to save. The masses are not shopping for new homes or new cars but, as we enter into month nineteen of the economic slowdown, they just might be planning ways to economically improve what they've already got. If your company is currently selling a product or service that will allow consumers to improve their own current reality during the down economy then you have an advantage. If you're marketing effectively, then you're successfully leveraging that advantage while most other businesses struggle. HOME IMPROVEMENT The home improvement ...

Posted in Todd Palmer, marketing, marketing plan, outdoor, retail, seasonal, tips | No Comments »

You’ve Made Your Mark

May 4, 2009 – 2:53 pm
but what have you done to protect it? In last month's column we discussed what happens to a great marketing idea once it is hijacked and absconded by the masses. It was original and powerful, now it's watered-down and ineffectual. It was someone's unique creation and now it's not. The same thing could happen to your brand if you don't take a simple step to protect it. It happened to aspirin, cellophane, Kleenex, elevator and thermos and it could happen to you too. Of the more than 100 clients that Virtual Farm Creative has branded over our more than ten years in providing that strategic service, less than half of them elect to register their new brand with the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO). Admittedly, until very recently, we didn't offer it as an in-house service, but the onus is on any business with a brand to federally register their logo. LIGHTNING ...

Posted in Todd Palmer, branding, identity, marketing, marketing plan, naming, positioning, tips | No Comments »

The Crop- Spring 2009

April 8, 2009 – 4:25 pm
TAPPING INTO CREATIVITY The newly formed company, Geemacher, LLC, has taken their marketing to a more competitive level with economical solutions from VFC including direct mail, advertising, web and trade show. A focused plan of attack is currently being supported with unique and memorable creative that is getting Geemacher noticed by American beer breweries of all sizes-which is perfect because that's their target audience! Geemacher capitalized on a market need by sourcing Stainless Steel and manufacturing kegs for the Brewing Industry during a time of real shortage. VFC collaborates by directing marketing messages and positioning Geemacher for success. Just Launched TACONY ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL Several new charter schools petitioned the Philadelphia School District to open in 2010 but only a few were selected. Once selected, they had to move fast to accept eligible students and VFC helped this client brand with a new identity featuring logo and school colors, a web site and an ...

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The Million Dollar Idea

March 30, 2009 – 10:14 am
NEW AND OLD PROMOTIONS TO PILFER In the early fifties a long forgotten television executive wearing a super thin tie had an epiphany that would spark a groundbreaking promotional idea. Legend has it that New York City affiliate WWOR first exploited the concept of the Million Dollar Movie to promote the television broadcasts of cinematic efforts that had a production cost of a million dollars or more which was a big budget in 50s and 60s. Although it excited viewing audiences for years, the Million Dollar Movie has been long forgotten in this age of on-demand T.V and multi-million dollar blockbusters. Since the idea first blasted onto black and white screens, every other local, regional and national broadcast company has cloned some version of the concept until it's a meaningless cliché and usually indicates a B-movie. That's the way it goes with good ideas. If they really are good they're lifted by the ...

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Reorganized, Rejuvenated and Ready to Rock a New Attitude

March 18, 2009 – 11:51 am
MUCH-LOVED MAJOLICA IS BACK WITH A MENU FOR THE MASSES Not only were the rumors of Majolica's death greatly exaggerated, but online and on the street hearsay had the well-respected restaurant devastated by the economy inside of a week. If they weren't predicting the next Phoenixville restaurant's demise the local punditry was publicly bemoaning the loss of the revitalized steel-town's most sophisticated eatery. Owned by the husband and wife team of Chef Andrew Deery and manager Sarah Johnson, Majolica had been in the news recently for receiving “three bells” from Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan and had added a farmhouse table to their eclectic offering. “It’s true that fine dining, in fact, all dining out is being affected by the headlines,” offers Chef Andrew Deery. “Majolica is no different, but being a BYOB does make margins tighter in a down economy.” Rather than succumb to these dreary facts, Deery and Johnson decided ...

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Status Update: Todd is writing about social network marketing

March 5, 2009 – 3:26 pm
Right in front of the right faces Face it, you either have a lot of friends that use Facebook or you have a lot of friends on Facebook because you're a part of the revolution. Either way, there's no denying that Facebook has successfully swept through every part of the nation, collecting users of every social, ideological, economic, religious and political stripe. That's right, they're all there. Conservative Christian canoeing CPA's from Conshohocken to Liberal, Later-Day-Saint, lute-playing linemen from Limerick and everyone in between is using the popular Social Networking site to creatively communicate with friends and family. This is good news if you're selling canoes or lutes or anything else Facebook users are identifying in their, often quite comprehensive and usually very honest, profiles. The process of proactively marketing to the "social network" group on Facebook couldn't be easier, more affordable or more effective. In fact, during this economic climate, your Company ...

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SEO CROP EDITION

February 26, 2009 – 10:40 am
Internet marketing is the science of creatively driving potential customers to your web presence Well known for the creative development of nationally competitive site strategy and design, VFC has also become extremely proficient with the post-launch effort that creates clicks and conversions! Beyond search engine optimization, VFC integrates logic and labor into an Internet Marketing Plan that will enhance search engine results, increase site traffic and help clients reach their goals whether that means more visits or more sales! Here's a sampling of sites with VFC Internet marketing plans: www.SlyFoxBeer.com Category: Retail This regional craft brewery located just outside of Philadelphia has become more and more respected as the Brewmaster creates new styles of quality ales and lagers. "Craft brewing," "micro brewing" and "beer" are competitive categories but a combination of SEO, site content and multiple urls have produced positive results for the Sly Fox Brewing Company. World Wide Ranking Example: Beer, Pennsylvania     #9: Google Craft Brewed Beer      #8: Google www.Vetcom.com Category: Retail This ...

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If you build it, will they come?

February 12, 2009 – 11:18 am
Optimize your mousetrap to catch more mice! Recently, a newer client asked my opinion of advertising in the commercial phone book. You know the pages by their color and their once ubiquitous and meaningful tag line... but, these days, people whose fingers used to do the walking are choosing to let their mice do the searching. I asked him back, “Where do you go to find a [insert business category here]?” You name the business, product or service that you need to find and a huge percentage of the people looking for it are looking for it first on the Internet. That means they’re using a search engine and, more and more, that means they’re using one search engine. As an agency that focuses on complete brand marketing, VFC recognizes that getting visitors to an impressive web site is nearly as important as the site’s message. In fact, with competition growing on the Internet ...

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