M45 Marketing Services recently celebrated its fourth anniversary! The company set up shop on June 11, 2001. M45 continues to grow and support new industries while providing innovative marketing for our existing clients.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the last four years so productive. We look forward to this year being the best yet! 

So, You’re Ready for a Change. We Can Help!

Is your company's logo looking a little tired lately? Is your marketing strategy not working so well? You need a change, and M45 can help.

The M45 team recently worked with a client to create a brand-new logo for an established business. The old logo, created when the business was young, didn't really match this vibrant, growing business. Our designers created an eye-catching logo that reflects the company's vitality and commitment to quality.

The M45 team can help you "switch gears" when it comes to your business strategy, too! Our experts in research, marketing and public relations can answer your questions and help guide your business to better results.

So while change may be the only constant (according to Disraeli), we can help make it something to look forward to instead of dreading it—just give us a call! 

Road Trip!

Ah, summer—time for the time-honored tradition of family road trips. Dare to be different this summer! If you're a neighbor of ours in the Midwest, instead of falling back on that old standby, the Wisconsin Dells, or heading west to the Corn Palace in Nebraska, why not venture to some lesser known roadside attractions? Those of us in northwest Illinois are fortunate to be next door to one of the best states in the union when it comes to folk-loric Americana—Wisconsin. Our neighbors to the north can boast of being home to the world's largest muskie in Hayward, the famous Holy Ghost Grotto in Dickeyville, (who says bromo bottles aren't art?) and the Rock in the House in Fountain City (not to be confused with that other day-trip destination, Spring Green's House on the Rock).

But hey, this month we're talking about getting out of your rut, so hit the road, (not the jackalopes) get off the beaten path, and check out some of these beauties:

• The Ventriloquist Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. If you don't have the creeps after visiting here, you're probably traveling alone!
• For those of you who enjoy "living large" on vacation, check out the Gallery of Huge Beings for sites in the U.S., Canada and Australia. There are twenty listings in Illinois!
• Canada's World's Largest Mosquito will make you feel better about swatting the puny pests in your own back yard.

And if gas prices have you staying close to home this summer, there's always The Road Cheese Hypertour—seven days in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. It should be a Gouda time...enjoy! 

But hey, we've always done it that way!

Every business has that core group of loyal customers or markets on which it relies for the bulk of its business. They may feel secure in their ability to keep the business by continuing to provide the level of service they have always provided.

Is the business really secure? Twenty years ago, consumers were likely to purchase the same brand or patronize the same stores where they had experienced a personal track record of success. Today's consumer is not as loyal and is often willing to switch for any number of reasons, such as lower cost, convenience, and service.

If you are in a business that may have a changing customer base, you should always consider how you can broaden your reach to new markets. It has been estimated that it costs seven times as much to find a new customer as to retain one, so your selection in who you market to must be specific and practical.

Solid research is the backbone for maximizing your efforts to increase your customer base. At M45 Marketing Services, we help clients think beyond their traditional audience to find new customers and new sources of revenue. Our research experts use both primary and secondary research to help you determine potential markets for your products or services. Once those are identified, we use an assortment of research databases to help you create customer and business lists of potential clients. Because we are a full-service agency, we can then help you customize messages that reach specific audiences using various media.

Contact M45 for more information on how you can expand beyond your loyal customers and reach new heights of success! 

Stop. Look. Listen.

Remember these simple commands from our youth, helping us to safely get across the street?

This month, consider these words again but employ them differently. Every time you write something to an employee, a peer, or a customer, make yourself Stop, Look and Listen before you proceed.

Stop. Don't hit "send" too quickly when you e-mail! Are you saying what you really mean? Have you covered all the bases and included all the pertinent facts to eliminate email tag? Have you used basic manners?

Look. Use your "spellcheck" function. Eliminate too many capital letters. Use bullets or spacing to make it easier for the recipient to skim your message and then respond to it. If you need a response, make sure you have asked for it by a specific date. A quick double check can make your messages much clearer and therefore much more effective.

Listen. What is the tone of your message? Do you sound enthusiastic and upbeat? Confident and powerful? Or demanding and whiny? "Listen" to your message through the "ears" of its would-be reader. Then modify its content to reflect how you want to be perceived.

Basic communication skills can be easily overlooked in the midst of a busy day. Force yourself to Stop, Look and Listen...and make your messages work harder for you.

Other "dare to be different" communications tips to try:

• Write ten new voice mail greeting messages for your voice mailbox and change the message every day.
• Subscribe to A Word A Day and expand your vocabulary.
• Make a point to analyze the email you receive from your employees, or even folks outside your organization. Give a fun award to the clearest or most motivating one you receive in a week.
• Have you ever noticed how much of the world mumbles? This month, enunciate! Say each syllable and be heard.
• Smile when you answer the phone. Studies show you sound more friendly and approachable when you grin—even if it's fake!