The NewMR Ethnography Virtual Event is an international webinar series exploring ethnographic market research strategies ranging from traditional ethnography to video ethnography and “netnography.” Laura will be the first of four speakers featured in the online session from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on May 25, 2011.

Laura will discuss an immersive approach to uncovering brand opportunities. The path to greater brand resonance requires marketers to understand the myriad ways that consumers relate to and experience their brand, product or service. She will explain how an authentic observational framework may be used to tackle complex strategic marketing issues. This framework goes beyond traditional research approaches, leveraging the principles of cultural anthropology and a creative combination of research methods to understand the brand category in new ways within the full context of consumers’ lives.

For more information and to register online visit newmr.org/page/ethnography-1 .

About CMI:
CMI is a full-service marketing research company that creates competitive advantages for clients by turning research data into strategic insights and recommendations that drive business results. Since 1989, CMI has delivered unique solutions to uncover opportunities, optimize marketing strategies, and improve performance for clients in consumer and B2B markets. CMI’s experienced team of market research consultants leverages a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods and technologies to help clients align products, services and strategies with customer needs.

CMI serves primarily Fortune 1000 clients and is currently ranked on the Honomichl Top 50 list of the country’s largest marketing research organizations and Inside Research list of fastest growing market research companies in the U.S. For more information about CMI, visit www.cmiresearch.com .

- Photo Caption: Laura Winn Johnson.

- RSS news feed for CMI: send2pressnewswire.com/author/cmi/feed .

News Source: CMI :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®. View all current news at: Send2PressNewswire.com .

The ITA Spring Conference is taking place May 1-3, 2011 at the Westin Buckhead Atlanta. “It’s an honor to present at ITA and I’m excited about these sessions which are the result of member feedback on the types of topics and sessions that would be most helpful in managing their business,” says Westerberg. “Social Media offers professional services firms with a great opportunity to showcase their expertise and gain exposure with new markets.”

Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC assists business-to-business firms in strategic marketing, public relations and social media. Westerberg speaks frequently on a variety of marketing topics including Social Media, Content Creation, Customer Experience, and Marketing Fundamentals.

Her presentation “The Hub – Is Your Online House in Order?” addresses the need for compelling content on websites and blogs providing visitors with the information they need to self-qualify themselves, continue returning to the site, and ultimately engaging in business with the firm.

“How to Monetize Social Media: B2B Case Studies” will focus on the results of real world marketing campaigns from campaign creation to campaign measurement to return on investment.

Westerberg will facilitate a hands-on lab for attendees looking to become more proficient in their use of Twitter.

About Information Technology Alliance (ITA):
The ITA is an independent, membership association of leading firms and companies whose primary objective is to create a community where members share information and build relationships that improve the way they, and their clients, do business. The membership roster consists of some of the most highly regarded mid-market technology professionals, consultants, and product/service providers in North America.

About Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC:
Based in Austin, Texas, Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC serves companies from coast to coast and border to border. Dawn Westerberg (dawnwesterberg.com) is the president of Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC. An Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant, she invites business owners to “Fall in Love with Your Business Again” through sound marketing strategy, creative collaboration and inspired performance.

- RSS news feed for Dawn Westerberg Consulting:
send2pressnewswire.com/author/dawn-westerberg-consulting-llc/feed .

News Source: Dawn Westerberg Consulting LLC :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®. View all current news at: Send2PressNewswire.com .

How does it work? It doesn’t get much easier than this. People who own stylish cars and work at popular or busy locations such as a mall, gym, near the beach, fairgrounds, stadium or any other busy retail location, simply park their car, apply promotional magnets, go about their business and get free gas.

And, the concept works best when multiple cars are placed at venues such as trade shows, large sporting events and/or main attractions.

All vehicles sport the “Take 1 if you dare” logo; and hundreds of designated custom made ad-magnets with a message that typically includes a “take action now” promotional offer – this entices the customer to “Take 1.”

Businesses really benefit because they are reaching their target audience.

“People would not take a magnet, unless they were specifically interested in that product or service,” explains Bruce Boyd, owner of Take1ifyoudare™.

“And, with the skyrocketing cost of gas, who wouldn’t be happy to earn some extra income to cover travel and commuting expenses?” posed Boyd.

For businesses, Hijack Advertising is one of the most innovative, trackable and cost efficient ways to increase a business’s sales. Current advertisers who have used this service show returns in the range of approximately seven percent. This is huge compared to many traditional forms of advertising.

For example, Greyhound Bus stations in Santa Ana and Oceanside signed on to do some creative car advertising with Take1ifyoudare.com. Prior to the holidays last year, it offered a seasonal promotion to active military personnel to purchase tickets before the holiday rush.

Five cars were strategically placed in downtown Oceanside – a high traffic area for military personnel.

The Greyhound station’s manager reported that he had tried to target active military through other advertising efforts, but with minimal results. With Hijack Advertising, he saw twice the return compared to other advertising techniques.

And on top of it all, this form of car advertising is also eco-friendly because magnets are 100 percent recyclable.

It’s a win-win for all. Advertisers get better ROI; car owners receive free gas; customers get services and/or products that they want or need; and the earth gets a little greener.

For more information, visit: www.take1ifyoudare.com .

News Source: Take1ifyoudare.com :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®. View all current news at: Send2PressNewswire.com .

Katz will discuss how small and mid-sized food companies and brands should use interactive marketing and social media strategies to grow their brands. Katz is a food and beverage brand marketing expert and Adjunct Instructor of Brand Management at the Fisher College of Business MBA Program at The Ohio State University. During the session, participants will review examples of some of the industry’s best practices and case studies, including: Stacy’s Pita Chips, Little Debbie, Sopakco, CafeMom, Hungry-Girl . com, and Whole Foods Market.

When asked about the session Katz replied, “Food companies must focus on their marketing strategy and goals, and not overreact to new tactics. While mid-sized companies can adapt and capitalize on high-growth platforms like Facebook and Twitter, they also should seize growth opportunities from more basic tools like web optimization, database marketing, and customer service.”

The presentation will offer attendees practical ways to focus on practical and immediate ways to grow sales through interactive marketing and social media, including:
1. Build competitive web presence.
2. Build and harvest customer/consumer databases.
3. Leverage customer service 2.0.
4. Monitor and listen to target consumers.
5. Capitalize on personal social media; prioritize Facebook, communities, and YouTube.
6. Network and develop business with business social media; leverage LinkedIn.
7. Market consistently across media.
8. Measure and refine programs.

About Katz Marketing Solutions:

Katz Marketing Solutions, www.katzmarketingsolutions.com, is a brand and marketing consulting firm that specializes in growing food and beverage and consumer products brands and businesses and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

News Source: Katz Marketing Solutions

This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Ms. Cheek, an equine trainer with 39 years of experience in the horse business, developed EquinePro(TM) to provide an affordable and convenient way for trainers, barn owners and breeders to market their services to the public.

“The equine industry is commonly known to be very labor intensive, with no time to sit at a desk,” Cheek explained. “We have no cutting edge options for marketing. I wanted to create something easy and effective that I would use for my own horse business. In this economic climate there is a critical need for all of us in the horse business to adopt some sort of marketing strategy.”

EquinePro(TM) provides entertaining and educational content that is appropriate for all disciplines, then twice each month, distributes the newsletter on behalf of the equine professional to their clients and prospective clients. One of the many benefits of this newsletter is that it functions as an electronic business card, keeping products and services at the forefront of the minds of their targeted market. The newsletter will position an equine professional as the local expert while stimulating new referrals and business leads.

According to the American Horse Council, there are approximately 9.2 million horses in the U.S. used for racing, showing, breeding, recreation and sport.

Equine Trainers Newsletter is an online company with offices at 5000 Birch Street, West Tower, Suite 3000, Newport Beach, California 92660.

Visit: www.equinetrainersnewsletter.com .

MEDIA CONTACT:
Donna Cheek
Ph. 949-476-3696
Fax 949-476-3758
Email: admin@equinetrainersnewsletter.com .

News Source: Donna Cheek – This story was originally sourced from Send2Press Newswire. This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

“Part of why we love these larger broadcast design projects is that they give us more opportunities to create and flesh out our ideas due to the inter-connected nature of a Show Package,” said Paragon’s Lead Creative Juicer, Andrew Davies. “Plus we get to do it from the comfort of our slice of paradise here in Savannah, Georgia, even though our clients are increasingly based in other parts of the country or overseas.”

Paragon is headed by three Savannah College of Art and Design alumni, Andrew Davies, Susan Isaacs and Philip Joyner, who all made a conscious decision to trade big-city bustle for coastal-community charisma. After almost nine years in business, the decision continues to pay off in unimaginable ways.

“When we show our work to national clients they are sometimes surprised that this is the caliber of work coming out of such a small town,” commented Susan Isaacs, Paragon’s Head Strategic Focus-izer, “but more often than not, they immediately get the connection to SCAD as a huge talent resource, and quite frankly it’s not uncommon for them to say they’ve visited Savannah and would love to live here, too!”

Specifically for “Cantore Stories,” Paragon flexed its broadcast design muscle by creating the show’s logo and then providing the network with a kit of motion-graphic parts to be used for flexibility in assembling transitions, promos and other sequences. The primary challenge they had to creatively overcome was the need to develop a customized end title treatment to correspond with the show’s differing locations and weather conditions. Knowing they couldn’t possibly produce all of the necessary parts for each individual show, Paragon capably met the show’s request by designing templates based on four major color schemes that would give The Weather Channel’s team of animators the ability to create future show elements with ease, all while remaining true to the brand.

“Since we knew we were going to be handing over the project files to TWC’s animators, we made sure that all of the effects we created were done without any special third-party plug-ins. This gave them complete freedom to re-purpose specific elements without risk of incompatibility between our machines and theirs,” remarked Davies.

As for The Weather Channel’s approval of the end product? “We had a vision for Cantore Stories and Paragon turned our words into reality,” stated Ray Sams, Creative Director of Programming and Production at TWC. “During the RFP process, a member of our review committee asked me who created the winning design pitch, an agency from New York or LA? When I replied Paragon was located in Savannah a few eyebrows raised. Paragon delivered a killer package and continues to draw attention to the Creative Coast.”

Of course, as any design studio would be, Paragon was thrilled to dig into its own toy chest of design applications and get to work. Their tools of choice? 3D elements were created in Cinema4D leaving the rest, including simulated weather elements and compositing, to Adobe After Effects.

“One of the challenges we’ve had to adapt to has been the move to HD,” said Philip Joyner, Paragon’s Head Production Maverick. “We’re dealing with some pretty large files but with some creative asset management in-house, we’re able to handle the rendering and storage of 1080p HD digital files, and deliver them with no problems. We deal with revisions and approval all online and digitally send final files via FTP. As we grow to meet even larger challenges, we now have an ally in another Savannah company, Meddin Studios, which allows for faster delivery, asset-management, and previews. With these options available, we can work with anyone, anywhere!”

The Weather Channel has always taken an innovative approach in the creation of stimulating weather programming, which aligned perfectly with Paragon’s style of creative design. TWC continues in this spirit with the addition of such improvements as enhancing graphics, maps and programming for local forecasts and national broadcasts, along with programming in High Definition (HD) from a new 12,500-square-foot facility. TWC will continue to strengthen their competitive position by delivering more visually impactful programming that gives the audience a vivid experience.

Paragon Design Group is known for creating smart design for evolving brands. Whether designing for motion graphics, print or Web, Paragon loves working with clients who are passionate about what they do and are ready to take their brands to the next level. As individuals, the members of Paragon are admittedly a little whacky, but when it comes to client work, they couldn’t be more serious.

Find out more by visiting: www.iamparagon.com or 912.238.1991.

News Source: Paragon Design Group

This story was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

That’s why the Ballantine Corporation has assembled a direct marketing white paper that reveals what’s likely in 2010. To directly download a PDF copy, click here: www.ballantine.com/dmtrends2010.pdf .

This report is the result of compiled research from reputable industry resources. It reveals that the two top major trends that will potentially yield more ROI are: including more details in list content (i.e., hobbies and past purchases); and more targeted campaigns based on these more detailed lists.

“Having these specific lists allows businesses to design a much more focused campaign,” says Ryan Cote, director of marketing for the Ballantine Corporation. “In turn, companies will also save money because these campaigns will be narrower in scope, targeting only prospects most likely to convert.”

This direct marketing white paper also provides trend details on e-mail marketing; green marketing; advancements in digital printing methods and how companies can benefit; and how to integrate web-based campaigns, direct mail and social media into a seamless and effective marketing campaign.

And, finally, the state of the economy has pushed companies to examine every penny spent when it comes to its marketing budget achieving an attractive ROI. Each action needs to be efficient and responsive. Businesses can now track effectiveness through advanced measurement tools to determine the success of all steps involved in a campaign.

About The Ballantine Corporation:

Family-owned since 1966, The Ballantine Corporation is a New Jersey-based company offering turnkey direct marketing services to companies, nationwide.

For more information, visit: www.Ballantine.com .

News Source: The Ballantine Corporation

This story was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

The directory provides industry professionals an easier way to search for opportunities specific to their industry, media type and lead type with over one hundred different search variables. The Lead Pages’ proprietary tools enable media buyers to find opportunities in minutes with just a few simple clicks. Additionally, the site includes discussion forums and industry news resources providing additional opportunities for industry professionals to learn and connect.

Melissa Rosno, Managing Director of parent company 562 Media, stated, “After years of experience in web development and marketing, our team realized that the task of finding specific performance based marketing opportunities was still not a simple one. In a rapidly growing industry it can be difficult to keep up with the launch of new companies and marketing opportunities. If we can help those media buyers and marketing managers that are seeking out these opportunities and save them time and money in the process, then we have accomplished our goal.”

For lead generation and performance based media or technology providers, TheLeadPages.com offers both free and featured listing options thus making it possible for all companies to participate.

“If initial results and industry feedback are any indication The Lead Pages is proving to be a valuable industry resource. We hope that media buyers and providers alike will see the value of their participation. We feel we have created a tool that will benefit both the companies seeking new marketing opportunities and those who provide these services alike,” said Rosno.

Lead generation and performance based industry providers are encouraged to submit their company information for inclusion in the directory.

For more information about The Lead Pages please visit www.theleadpages.com .

Based in Long Beach, California, 562 Media, Inc. has been creating web properties since 2004. 562 Media has developed numerous proprietary solutions for the real estate, financial services, retail and B2B markets. The 562 Media team offers a unique blend of software, yellow pages, direct marketing and lead generation industry experience.

News Source: 562 Media, Inc.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. This story was issued by Send2Press®. Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network.

The India Today Group publishes 34 titles that include a broad spectrum of news, business, travel, design, sports and lifestyle magazines. They include India Today, the group’s flagship news and current affairs magazine published in both English and Hindi with a circulation of 1.1 million every week; Money Today, a leading finance weekly; and India Today Spice, a publication that reaches 1.3 million affluent and aspiring Indian readers. The Group’s portfolio also includes Time, Fortune, Reader’s Digest, Golf Digest, Scientific American, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Prevention, Auto Bild, Travel Plus, Design Today, Woman and Harvard Business Review.

Under the agreement, Riverside media will provide advertising sales and marketing support for India Today’s entire portfolio of publications with the exception of Business Today. The addition of these titles to Riverside’s portfolio of worldwide consumer and trade media enhances its ability to offer both broad and highly targeted coverage to advertisers wishing to penetrate the Indian market.

“The publications in the India Today Group are ideally positioned to reach some of the most important segments of the Indian market,” said W. John Holmes, president of Riverside Media. “We are extremely pleased to be the North American representative for this diverse group of publications,” he added.

The India market, with its increasing international importance and growing middle class, has become an extremely attractive growth opportunity for many North American companies. Riverside helps companies that don’t have the worldwide infrastructure or immediate local knowledge by facilitating international media placement, and providing cost effective solutions for businesses of all sizes, advertising agencies and their clients.

Riverside Media is the North American advertising representative for the premier media companies in the Asia/Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. An independent U.S.- based representative, Riverside has provided North American ad agencies and advertising clients with simplified and centralized access to major consumer and trade media of all types worldwide for the last 30 years.

For more information visit www.accessriverside.com or call 518-523-4794.

News Source: Riverside Media

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. This story was issued by Send2Press®. Copyright © 2009 Neotrope® News Network.

“IDS has been committed to the mortgage industry for 20 years, serving a distinctive type of lender that cannot be satisfied with a cookie cutter docs solution, a story that we think the market needs to know in greater depth,” said IDS president Curt Doman. “We selected DepthPR based on its track record, enthusiastic referrals from its other clients, and because of its willingness to invest time in our business even before we selected it as our agency of record, which is itself a far cry from cookie cutter.”

“IDS is exactly the kind of company that DepthPR wants to serve – a true solutions provider with a fanatical customer base and market differentiating capabilities,” said DepthPR principal and founder, Kerri Milam. “Knowing the IDS reputation for customer service, as well as the value it places on agility and responsiveness, it is an even greater privilege to have earned their confidence. We are eager to support IDS business objectives with high quality public relations, communications and Web visibility strategies.”

About Depth Public Relations, LLC:

Since 2006, Depth Public Relations has delivered 100 percent senior level counsel, industry insight and tactical intelligence to financial services and financial technology businesses. Its expertise includes precision messaging strategy, keyword analysis and deployment, use of industry-specific B2B networking through online communities and trade media outlets, content development and placement, organic search engine optimization (SEO) and other initiatives that strengthen brand reputation. Principal strategist and client service executive, 25-plus year PR and marketing veteran Kerri Milam remains immersed in each client service engagement from planning based on business objectives to measurement based on agreed upon metrics.

For more information about Depth Public Relations, LLC, services visit www.DepthPR.com, or email Kerri S. Milam at Kerri@DepthPR.com .

About IDS, Inc.:

IDS, Inc. has been a nationwide provider of mortgage closing documents for more than 20 years. Their services include closing documents, reverse documents, initial disclosures and fulfillment. Its solution, called idsDoc, is recognized in the industry for its flexibility to customize to the legal, compliance and automation requirements of each individual lender. IDS backs the system with unsurpassed customer service, innovative development and a solid compliance team. For lenders looking to move forward when it comes to doc prep, visit the IDS Website at www.idsdoc.com or call 800-554-1872.

News Source: Depth Public Relations, LLC

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. This story was issued by Send2Press®. Copyright © 2009 Neotrope® News Network.