Internal Reporter’s Weekly Update with Lindsay Carrozzella - 6/12/09

IR: What did you do this week for Kocina Branding and Marketing Companies?

Lindsay: I had a great time working with Nash Finch, an Edina-based Fortune 500 company, and their NFC Foundation as they donated 44 tons of food to “Hope for the City,” a local food bank supporting 80+ food shelves and soup kitchens in the Twin Cities’ 9-county metro area. It was truly amazing. The CEO of Nash Finch Alec Covington and his wife Gail personally donated half of this food, 22 tons, to help support the needy and hungry in the metro. I had a great experience working with all of the media in the Twin Cities as I helped Nash Finch to create awareness about the growing need for food during this tough economy. It was rewarding!

IR: That sounds awesome! In what ways did you create awareness of this event?

Lindsay: I talked to a lot of TV and newspaper producers and reporters, letting them know that the need to help our community put food on the table is out there and expanding dramatically, and that there are great ways we can help. I offered to arrange interviews with leaders who support programs that serve the hungry, as well as interviews with residents who have a desperate need for these services in this tough economy. Nash Finch is really trying to set an example for other community business leaders to join them in making food or monetary donations to support this cause.

IR: In what ways could people donate to this event?

Lindsay: Like Nash Finch’s generous donation of 44 tons of food – two semi-trucks full of non-perishable items – other corporations, foundations and individuals can help by offering food, monetary donations and volunteer hours. You see: a lot of food banks rely upon corporate donations to help support their programs.

IR: Great! What were some of the media outlets seemed interested in creating event awareness?

Lindsay: It was great working with KARE-TV NBC 11, KSTP-TV ABC 5, and KMSP-TV FOX 9, WCCO Radio, KSTP-AM and KBEM-FM. It was also really fun working with the Star Tribune, a columnist at the Pioneer Press, The Business Journal and Sun Publications.

IR: That does sound fun! Could people see any stories about this event on television or in newspaper articles?

Lindsay: People may have seen many stories last week, June 3rd, 4th and 5th , covering the press conference and food donation, and expressing the need for increased corporate responsibility to help those less fortunate in the Twin Cities during these tough economic times. Hunger in our community is such a strong need, and this event really tried to call attention to the problem while also offering one of many possible solutions – help from our local business leaders – to help our neighbors. I am hoping to see a few more stories about their cause in the next few weeks!

IR: It sounds like you have been busy! I cannot wait to see what you are up to next week!

Internal Reporter’s Weekly Update with Heather Champine 6/12/09

IR: What did you do this week for Kocina Branding and Marketing Companies?

Heather: This week I handled all the media connections for an event, Hope for the Cities, produced by the Fortune 500 company Nash Finch and its foundation. The foundation donated 44 tons of food to reduce hunger and help the needy in the Twin Cities area. It was truly amazing because the CEO of Nash Finch Alec Covington and his wife Gail personally donated half of this donation. They really wanted to set an example for other major corporations to help others in need and also contribute to important causes.

IR: That is very interesting! In what ways did you handle the media connections?

Heather: I led a team of publicists in contacting major news stations, daily newspapers, magazines and radio stations to get media awareness. We primarily had the reporters do before-event stories to get the public educated and interested in the cause. We also worked with them to do media coverage at the event. Our efforts were successful, because many of the major news stations attended and did some great stories on the event.

IR: Awesome! Did you have a chance to attend this event?

Heather: Yes I did! It was an amazing experience for me because I got to see the results of our huge efforts. Everywhere in sight there were television and newspaper reporters getting stories, and everyone was in a great, giving mood.

IR: That is great news! How long did it take to get such successful media coverage?

Heather: My team of publicists and I started contacting the media three months in advance. We really stepped up our efforts a little more than 2 months before the event, which gave us enough time to get major news stations and newspapers ready to be on the scene.

IR: Great! Did you get the media to do any post-event stories?

Heather: Definitely. We got before, during, and after-event news stories. Since the event was for a great cause, it is very important to make sure the audience is aware of the ways they can also contribute. All of the media attention gives the audience a sense of what is going on, and they will be better motivated to attend and contribute to similar causes.

IR: Great Job! I cannot wait to catch up with you and your publicity team next week!

Internal Reporter’s Weekly Update with Michelle Roddie- 6/11/09

IR- What did you do this week for Kocina Branding and Marketing Companies?

Michelle- I worked a lot on marketing partnership opportunities with companies that would fit in with our Seniors Expo™ and our Girlfriends Expo & Getaway™.

IR- Very interesting! Can you tell us more about those expos?

Michelle- Sure! We have our Seniors Expo, which is in its ninth year and is taking place on September 16th and 17th at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. On September 16th from 3-6 pm we will also have the gala Ms. Senior Minnesota Pageant, and all of our Seniors Expo attendees get free admission! We are also working on the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway. That expo is also at Treasure Island Resort and Casino, and will take place on November 20th and 21st. It will be an awesome time to get the girls together to hang out and have some fun!

IR- What marketing approaches have you taken in promoting these two expos?

Michelle- We do a lot of promotions! We have our Media Relations publicists contacting the media, and arranging for written articles as well as interviews on television and radio. We also do a lot of email marketing to our past attendees as well as companies who are excellent fits for these demographics. We also attend other events to let people know about our expos face-to-face.

IR- Wow! You sure have some great marketing strategies! So do you actually go out into the community and promote these expos?

Michelle: Of course we do! We were just at “Putt for the Pink”, where we sponsored a hole and promoted the expos to the golfers. At the after-party we distributed tickets for both of our expos.

IR- Why attend one of these expos? What would someone gain from attending?

Michelle- Well, I think the best thing is that everything relating to women or to seniors is under one roof. So everything we offer relates to what they are looking for.

IR- Very true! So is there anything else you want to tell the audience about your expos?

Michelle: They will be totally awesome and fun! If you want to find out more information, just go to our website at www.101expos.com to shop at the show before you go and get discount tickets! Just click on the expo you want to attend, and you can print half price ticket vouchers right on the website!

IR- Your upcoming expos sound fantastic! Stay tuned for an expo update next week!

Internal Reporter’s Weekly Update with Jason Kocina- 6/11/09

IR: What are you doing this week for Kocina Branding and Marketing Companies?

Jason: The largest project Checkerboard did this week was for a client that is selling a new STD prevention cream. We developed a “funnel system” to collect leads — potential customers — and drive traffic to the client’s Website. We worked on building up this new system to store all the leads’ data in the company’s database. Doing this also enabled us to store all of that information into our email marketing system.

IR: The new system sounds like an excellent marketing tool. What is the next step?

Jason: We will automatically follow up with the leads and start marketing to them.

IR: In what ways are you going to market to the product’s segment of the audience?

Jason: We are getting people to the “conversion point” or the “free sample” offer, where we use a very multi-tiered marketing approach. One way we are doing this is by utilizing all the latest social networking sites.

Kocina Branding and Marketing Companies has appointed an insider to conduct interviews with “drivers” in our various fields! The reporter will conduct weekly interviews with publicists, the leader of the publicist team, the expo manager, and members of the Checkerboard Strategic Web Development team! These insightful interviews will keep you updated on what goes on around our company!

This past weekend while packing a multitude of books in preparation for moving to our new home, I came across the gem, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson.  This is one of those timeless books that speaks truth no matter where we are at in business and in life.

The landscape has changed in marketing and now more than ever it is vital to know how to navigate the marketing maze. A maze is an easy place to get lost in.  It’s time to take control rather than just let things happen to your business.

In this market, you need to adapt faster, because if you don’t adapt in time, you might as well have not adapted at all. 

We work with our clients to help them “navigate” their marketing efforts and turn them into sales.  We offer a full array of marketing services that can help you work your way through this maze including MARKETSMART trainings, strategic products, social media marketing, publicity, web development and expos.

Waiting to move forward with your marketing will not increase sales and put extra $$ in your pocket. It’s time to build your own Brand Playbook, one of the strategic products our company has developed.  This is a roadmap that will help you increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and keep your team focused on company marketing goals, your target market, key message points and the appropriate promotional channels.

Give Cynde a call at 612-798-7218 and we’ll get you moving in the right direction.