It’s getting more difficult to evaluate the health of the economy based on what we hear in the media. Just as a wounded pet will uncharacteristically lash out at its master, the badly crippled media has lost its sense of responsibility to the public.

Do you remember the movie Misery where Kathy Bates found the injured James Caan, nursed him lovingly back to health at her secluded cabin, and then sadistically broke his legs so he couldn’t leave?  The media has become sadistic in the same way. They attack their prey mercilessly, nurse them back to health with glowing stories and then pounce again.       

These are just some of the services our company offers. We also do events, create large consumer expos (hundreds of booths and thousands of attendees), we produce video and help our clients get connected in social media marketing to mention a few more.   We are a good marketing resource and if you haven’t made a connection with us, check us out a Publicity.com. We’d love to work with you. I want to mention that I’m raising our publicity rates by 20%. If you sign up with us before January 31^st, you will get our 2007 rates. After that we may deal a little or we may not, depending on our workload.  

I just want to say how lucky I am to work with a so many incredible people here at Kocina Marketing Companies.   The economy has slowed some and companies are putting a hold on spending.    It is even more important now to have the right people on the bus.  

We have some pretty amazing people here.  The slow economy has given us the opportunity to see what these people are actually capable of.   Our core group has stepped up and really made things happen.   Some of them are wearing hats that they have never worn before and doing a damn good job of it because we all love what we do.  Our Vice President of Operations and Events just closed three large creative deals.   Our Vice President of Media Production just brought in two new clients.  The Director of our Health Division is finding and developing new opportunities for his clients to succeed.  Our Editorial Manager is teaming with our Vice President of Operations to develop growth strategies in our expo and event production areas. Our Web Development team is being proactive in this down economy too — devising ways for our clients’ websites to become profit centers instead of just business costs. And our Human Resource Manager is not only using this time to train our staff on a new computer system, she is also developing ambitious initiatives for some of our newest marketing products.

Too many people are sitting down and saying, “It’s no use — the economy is bad.”  This becomes their excuse for not trying.  Our staff excels during times like this because we see every change as an opportunity.

A few weeks ago I was out to dinner with a friend who owns a company with sales in the billions. That’s billions with a “b.”

As he does every time we meet, he reminds me of the advice I gave him when his business was in a severe slump. He says, “Remember when you told me to increase my marketing?” Then he chuckles and says, “Lonny, that was good advice.”

The advice I gave my friend years ago is the same advice I’m giving you today: become a more aggressive sales organization.

Unfortunately, consumers (consider yourself) are more resistant to sales messages than ever. TiVo, do not call lists, spam filters, XM radio, etc. are used like a protective armor that keeps sales messages from penetrating. And what consumers can’t deflect, they ignore. Sound familiar?

So how can you aggressively market to the resistant masses? I’ll give you the answer in the next five paragraphs.

We have pioneered, trademarked, and successfully used a concept we call Reach & Teach Product Promotion®.

I recently wrote a short book called Teaching Consumers to Buy that explains the concept of Reach & Teach Product Promotion®. In addition, I created a 10-point poster to serve as a visual reminder of the Reach & Teach concept.

You probably think I’m teeing you up to buy the book and poster, but I’m not. Quite the opposite – I want to give them to you FREE with one small hitch. Let me explain …

When I developed the book and poster I bundled them with a workshop and sold them together. But I’ve changed my mind and decided to give the book and poster/map away as a loss leader. The reason for the change is that clients who have gone through our Branding Workshop have had an overwhelmingly favorable experience and subsequently purchase many of the marketing services that we offer. So I’m offering the book and poster free in order to expose more people to the possibility of participating in a Brand Building workshop.

My logic is straightforward:
1.Give you the book and poster if you will listen to our sales pitch for the workshop
2.See if we can convince you to invest in the workshop
3.Up-sell you on the services we offer that fit your needs.

So here’s the deal: I’ll send you my book and poster (they form the underpinning of Reach & Teach Product Promotion®) free if you will agree to let one of my account executives spend five minutes explaining the benefits of our Brand Building Workshop That’s your only commitment to us. If you decide the workshop won’t benefit you, that’s fine.

If you need to increase your sales, our Reach & Teach Product Promotion® concept is the answer.

Call 612-798-7200 and ask for an Account Executive and we will send you the book and ten-point poster/map immediately. The only thing we ask in return is the opportunity to explain the benefits of our enlightening Brand Building Workshop.
Lonny

The story resumes in the same office. Another eager and motivated expo salesperson named Toni has witnessed Michelle’s success. As this person was prospecting for Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo (www.101expos.com/marde), she came across a retail store whose website  stated, “New Web Store Coming Soon.”

Curious, this salesperson called the store and asked, “How long has your Web store been under construction?” She learned that no one had actually worked on it for quite a while. She filed that information in the back of her mind, and ultimately began talking with the store’s owner about the expo. She sent him follow-up information. But each time she called, he’d tell her he had been too busy to look at it.

When, during her 4^th follow-up call, the owner again tried to tell her that he was too busy, she stopped him in his tracks. “Look,” she said. “Let’s put the expo aside. Given today’s business environment, I think your Website is where you need the most help. I suggest you stop in and spend some time with us to get a better feel for what we do, and how we can help you.”

The man grew silent, then conceded that he would be nearby in the next week making deliveries. Toni set up a meeting with her co-workers at Checkerboard Strategic Web Development (www.checkerboard.com) for the following Tuesday.

There once was an expo salesperson named Michelle, who refused to let a little word like “no” stop her from making her goals. Recently while talking with a prospect about the Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo (www.101expos.com/marde), she heard every objection imaginable including “We don’t have a booth and we don’t have any ideas for a booth.”  So the industrious salesperson convinced the prospect to come into the office by stating, “We can help you come up with ideas for your booth. Oh, and did I mention we can also do booth graphics?” And so, the meeting was set.

On the day of the meeting, Michelle cordially introduced the prospect to people representing Kocina Marketing Company’s (KMC) various services (www.publicity.com). He was so impressed that he paid in full for exhibit space at Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo and the company’s Seniors Expo. He is even talking with one of KMC’s other companies, Checkerboard (www.checkerboard.com), about enlarging some photos for use in his booth display.

But wait. There’s more! He also spoke with Checkerboard developing his Web site. The conversation then turned to the value of blogs, which led a further discussion about KMC’s newest service: Internet Advocacy.

Remarkably, there’s still more! This prospect is developing a new beverage and could possibly become one of KMC’s Media Relations clients as well.

“It really helps to get people here and in front of our people,” Michelle commented. 

Two years ago I sat down with my freshman college advisor and listed off my plethora of interests. From education to business, journalism and everything in between, I wanted to do it all!

Now, two years later, I am heading into my Junior year of college at Indiana University with a clear sense of what I want to do thanks to my internship at Kocina Marketing Companies.

Wait a minute, maybe I jumped ahead a little too fast. I did make a few important decisions during my first two years of college.

After taking a few courses in each of my many interests, I made the decision to double major in journalism (with a focus in PR) and communications.

With hard work and motivation, I absorbed as much information as possible about these exciting fields, but found myself wanting to learn even more.

I wanted first hand experience.

Luckily, that is exactly what I’ve recieved during my summer-long internship at Kocina Marketing Companies (KMC).

From day one at KMC, it was apparent that I would not be the typical coffee-running, copy-making, often-ignored intern. To my delight, I was assigned to help a specific team, and better yet, an important long-term project.

Although office life was a little overwhelming at first, KMC made me feel comfortable to ask questions, and take on more responsibilities once I was ready.

Because KMC is made up of three companies: Media Relations, Checkerboard Strategic Web Development and Mid-America Events & Expos, I have been fortunate to get a well-rounded experience, something that our clients are able to recieve as well.

KMC’s three unique companies work together to ensure that our clients’ needs are met at all levels by interacting and utilizing the many skill sets throughout the three companies. Because of this, KMC provides a full promotional experience.

Between researching useful information that could be included on a client’s website, organizing clients’ travel schedules and helping with project overviews, KMC has given me the opportunity to understand many facets of marketing. More importantly for me, KMC has shown me that my plethora of interests can all be utilized through the magic of marketing.

Not the Average Intern            Now I know what you’re thinking … this intern seems a little full of herself, but don’t let the title fool you.  The meaning behind the title doesn’t lie within me exactly, but more within Kocina Marketing Companies and the work I do for them.  As of this fall, I will be a senior at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and I am currently a communications intern for KMC.  For the past two months, which have flown by like two weeks, I have been assisting publicists, making sales calls and working with the marketing intern on an internal contest to boost productivity, and a sense of community among KMC employees.  To the everyday Jim, John or Harry this might not seem like a big deal. To me, it’s huge!           

Kocina Marketing Companies is, in my best efforts to explain it, an umbrella company for Media Relations Inc., Checkerboard Strategic Web Development and Mid-America Events & Expos.  Like gears, all three companies are connected and working together on a daily basis.  For example: if one of our Account Executives brings in a new client, KMC would take this client and/or their product and create publicity through Media Relations Inc. As the publicists are busy getting bookings, we might have Checkerboard working on developing their new web site.  Lastly, as more people become aware of the client/product they may decide they would like to host an event that would celebrate their success, which we could facilitate though Mid-America Events & Expos.  You see where I am going with this right?  KMC is pretty much a one-stop shop for our clients making it not only easier on the client, but also for us because these three companies are housed together, ensuring that they are constantly communicating with one another.  Even Lonny Kocina, CEO and founder of KMC, is currently teaching marketing classes to his employees for free – during business hours – just to make sure that they are communicating more effectively.           

Currently I am making calls to book exhibitors for Mid-America Events & Expos’ Fall Remodeling & Design Expo.  Having only heard about the expo and never attended, it is interesting to get an inside look at how it is put together.  The Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo, which we have lovingly named MARDE, is being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on November 1^st and 2^nd.   What I love about this show, compared to other home shows, is that it is a focused show – exclusive to Remodeling & Design.  The show does include landscaping and other home improvement services but you won’t find any jewelers or chiropractors here:  Guaranteeing that the attendees we have coming to the show are there for the purpose of remodeling or design, and giving our exhibitors a quality attendee that they can talk to face-to-face.           

When I was looking for my summer internship I was worried I would be stuck at a place where I would go on coffee runs and make copies all day.  I continue to be pleasantly surprised with KMC and the opportunities they give me.    At KMC I have found that the knowledge held by its employees is staggering.  I have learned so much already and just hope to continue doing so in my last couple of weeks.  I can go on and on, but when you break it down – I am not the average intern because Kocina Marketing Companies is not the average company.

There is nothing better than getting a placement with a media contact you’ve been chasing after for some time. 

Finally, I was able to penatrate the veil of “untouchable media” the other day when I set up an interview for my spokesperson. 

This type of achievement motivates me to work even harder than the day before!

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never.”
Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
 British prime minister

Working at Media Relations for the last two years has given me great wisdom and has been character building.  We are working daily to strive for the  greater good of our company and for our team.  The communication between our team is vital in assuring our company wide success.  We are in constant communication with each other on what contacts (for print, television, & radio) to look out for in certain markets and where we are at in our dialogue in relation to tours for our spokespeople and our clients. 

Media Relations is all about setting us up to succeed.  We take great pride in seeing new publicists get great placements and even our more seasoned publicists getting placements they never thought possible.  The power of positivity reigns through each one of us as we deal with rejection daily, but see the best in situations and how to position are clients successfully.   Mike Danielson and Heather Champine work very hard for us and we in turn are tireless workers and leave no stone unturned because we value their leadership.  They are excellent communicators and great people to work for and with.  Seeing Mike scurry around is a constant reminder of hard work paying off.  He is a big role model in my continued advancement with my career and a big reason for our success at Media Relations.  Heather is always willing to share her expertise and she is valiantly working with the publicists to ensure we have successful months with our placements and adding her unique clarity on the media we work with.

Media Relations is a joy to come and work for each day.  We never know what is going to happen.  Even with the best laid plans, your day is sure to throw you a few curveballs.  With the leadership we have, we have been prepared thoroughly to deal with these curveballs and use them and thrive on our failures, so we can learn from them and turn them into positives.  Media Relations has taught me a lot of things:  professionalism, work ethic, communication and resourcefulness.  Working with our team is the biggest benefit of joining such a rich and diversified company.  We pull for each other, cheer for each other, and work with each other so we can contribute to a greater good.  The continued growth of such a unique and fun company.

As an accountant, I am aware that most people think accounting is just adding here, subtracting there, making people’s paychecks, collecting the money and paying the bills. Well for the most part it was for me … until now.

Since I have had my “Now, Discover Your Strengths” chart posted by my door, others have realized what my strengths are including the owners Lonny and Robin Kocina.  The strength they all seem to relate with me is “analysis”.  They have had me analyze more things for them lately and I think they like the results. Even though I like accounting a lot, I probably like analyzing situations more.

I am also a very strategic person, which fits very well with analysis, since my analysis will be used to develop future strategies.  Analysis, in simple terms, is taking a situation and thinking of all the factors that affect it. A person then uses their experience in probability, people’s desires, supply and demand, profitability, the situation’s environment, common sense and ANY number of other factors important to the situation. I find myself doing this in my head every day for the weirdest things, but now I will do it for something that is productive for the company.

At Kocina Marketing we are starting a new group of services to go with our current product line designed by my boss, President Lonny Kocina.  Since the pricing and the costs involved are new to Kocina Marketing, proper analysis needs to be done to accomplish bottom line success. I am looking forward to helping in the analysis of the ‘how much, how many and other numbers, costs and revenue impacts’ of the development of Lonny’s strong group of new marketing services that we are adding to the Kocina Marketing product mix. 

The unique size of Kocina Marketing gives me the opportunity to be involved in a process like this. At a big company the Finance department and not the Accounting department would normally handle this analysis. It is a unique opportunity that I look forward to participating in using my top strength.

My analysis already has told me that these new services will be complementary to Kocina Marketing Companies’ family of core products, add great marketing services for our clients and help the employees see future growth in our company. These new services will be better for the “Company, Client, and Employee”. These are the three things all company actions strive to improve/achieve.