Jefferson & Associates provides complete marketing planning services, including the preparation of an in-depth situation analysis of your business. We begin by reviewing the company's business objectives and marketing plan, as well as: Economic & Industry Trends Sales Volume & Trends Database Analysis Seasonality We review secondary research, such as trade and consumer publications and trade association information. We summarize the competitive situation by product, price, promotion, distribution, advertising and expenditures. This process leads to identifying: Markets of Opportunity Target Audience Purchase Motivation Next, we establish clear and concise marketing, advertising, public relations and promotional objectives, followed by communication strategies and budgets. We continually monitor campaign progress to measure its effectiveness against your objectives by evaluating: Awareness Changes Attitude Shifts Trade Feedback Qualified Lead Generation Sales Results Market Share Marketing research can provide information crucial for developing an effective marketing strategy. Jefferson & Associates can custom design a marketing research program to include: Situation Analysis New Product Development Corporate Image Consumer/Buyer Analysis Creative Pre-Test Effectiveness Study Additionally, we develop all research project elements including: Project Budget Questionnaire Design Data Collection Technique --focus groups, mall intercepts, personal interviews, telephone, mail and online Internet surveys Data Tabulation & Analysis  Finally, we integrate the findings and recommendations into your strategic marketing plan.   We believe that the development of effective creative material begins with knowing the client's products and services, market, customers and competition. Only when we fully understand the buyers and their motives can we begin to build creative materials that effectively will achieve your marketing goals and objectives. Develop "positions" for client's products and/or services that relate to the buying motivations or problems of prime prospects. Match appropriate creative resources to client needs. Prepare advertising, promotional, and public relations concepts that work within your overall marketing strategy and budget. Prepare copy and layout for advertisements and collateral materials. Prepare storyboards and scripts for broadcast and audio/visual executions. Pre-test creative materials. Obtain cost estimates for print and broadcast production. Review and select print and broadcast production vendors. Supervise production of print and broadcast materials.   After careful analysis, we determine the best media mix for your advertising messages and achieve the goals of your advertising strategy. Whether it's television, radio, newspaper, magazine, direct mail or outdoor advertising, we provide complete analysis of media alternatives and cost efficiencies. We develop media strategies that address your marketing objectives and fit your budget. Review alternative media for reaching target prospects Establish the media mix Allocate media budget Negotiate advertising schedules Schedule advertisements Secure appropriate positioning of advertisements Negotiate merchandising opportunities Monitor advertising insertions to ensure schedule is running as ordered Adjust schedule in response to market or business changes Review the media plan regularly in terms of objectives, strategy and budget   The two basic reasons to employ a public relations strategy are to inform or persuade. We can develop and implement public relations and publicity plans and budget that meet your specific needs. Review client's public relations objectives Develop communications strategies Identify target audience Generate publicity ideas Create corporate public relations calendar Establish target media/journalist list Provide photography Identify company spokesperson(s) Conduct interviews Write and distribute press releases and backgrounders Write and distribute brochures, newsletters and press kits Create articles for placement in magazines and trade publications Produce quarterly financial statements and annual reports Compose speeches and presentations Monitor press clippings     The Internet is the most exciting communications medium to ever come into existence. At present, it is estimated that over 100 million computers are linked together via the Internet, and more and more people are coming online daily. The Internet is actually a number of different services: The World Wide Web is the area of the Internet where individuals and business have registered "web sites" and "home pages". We all know about email, but few of us realize this is an Internet service unto itself. Your email box is "hosted" on a web site located on the "server" of an Internet service provider (ISP). File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a data transfer tool used to send data from one user to another. "News Groups" are electronic bulletin boards where anyone can post messages and information for anyone to view. There are literally thousands of news groups on the Internet.  If all this sounds confusing it's really not. It's simply new to many of us. But it is also a tremendous marketing communications tool that Jefferson & Associates is ready to help you learn to use. Since its development, the Internet has been used primarily as an information transfer tool. Originally created to aid the U. S. Defense Department, it was designed to provide communications links in the event of a nuclear attack. The Internet system in its early years also linked colleges and universities together, allowing them to transfer research data from one computer to another and access databases. Eventually, other public institutions such as governmental departments, the Smithsonian Institute and libraries signed onto the Internet. Students at universities become familiar with the "net" emailing messages to each other and establishing "home pages." When online services like Prodigy, Compuserve and America Online came into existence, they offered individuals the opportunity to easily explore the Internet and communicate with each other. As we become more familiar with personal computing and the potential of the Internet, the business community has begun to realize the marketing applications and potential of the Internet. Today, all of the top 100 advertisers in America have extensive Internet web sites. Thousands of small businesses have established web sites as well. The relatively low cost of web page construction and maintenance, and the ease of access to the World Wide Web have allowed the Internet to grow dramatically as a marketing communications tool. Jefferson & Associates offers our clients a full range of Internet services including: Domain registration. Establishment of an access account and web site hosting with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Technical support including set-up of equipment and installation of software on client computers. Planning and design of Internet web sites. Registration of the web site with Internet search engines. Web site (html) programming. Copy writing and graphic design for the web site. Sale of banner advertising for commercial web sites. Periodic updating and ongoing maintenance of the web site.    "The Internet is the most exciting communications medium since television....no, since the telephone!" We offer our clients website hosting services at various levels, design consultation and the development of website plans in addition to the construction and maintenance of their websites. We welcome the opportunity to introduce you to the Internet and assist you with your Internet marketing needs. WANT TO LEARN MORE?     Our professional resources extend beyond the boundaries of our firm. When appropriate, Jefferson & Associates, Inc. will utilize its network of vendors and suppliers of marketing, research, media, production and promotional services to assist us in the completion of a client assignment. This network includes: Copywriters Art Directors Art Studios Typographers Mounters & Finishers Paper Merchants Copying & Duplicating Services Printers & Lithographers Screen Printers Broadcast Producers Broadcast Studios Video & Film Producers Direct Marketing Firms Database Marketers Media Planners & Buyers Market Research Companies Exhibit Manufacturers Premium & Incentive Specialists Models Photographers Film & Color Processing Audio/Visual Equipment  Jefferson & Associates offers complete planning and execution services for special events or promotions to enhance a company's publicity objectives. Whether you need to increase store traffic, introduce a new product or service, enhance your corporate image or improve client or employee relations, we provide experience and resourceful know-how to create and implement successful events including: Grand Openings Product/Service Promotions Sales Meetings Seminars Corporate Events For Clients or Employees Fundraising Benefits Jefferson & Associates ensures its clients that all advertising materials are produced and delivered to media as scheduled and within budget. We maintain daily time sheets for each client detailing our agency's professional services, and monthly activity summarized by project. We coordinate all billing for client marketing, research, production, promotional and media expenditures. We maintain files of all the clients' production and art materials, and handle all day-to-day details (correspondence, media inquiries, billing and traffic control).