It’s well known that women make most of America’s buying decisions. Fewer people realize that women also own a great number of Minnesota’s businesses, and are therefore poised to help our local economy rebound.

“Small businesses got us out of the big recession in the last century, and we can band together to do it again,” says Robin Kocina, president of Mid-America Events & Expos, Inc., producers of the upcoming Girlfriends Expo & Getaway, which features the Women’s Home & Interior Design Expo (www.101expos.com). “Minnesota tends to be at the business forefront,” she says. “Women business owners are a driving force, and what’s happening in our own business community is a good indicator of what’s happening across the country.”

According to results of a 2009 Economic Forecast survey, 31 percent of Women Presidents Organization (WPO) members say their businesses have grown since 2008; and 82 percent are optimistic about business performance in 2010. These women business leaders identified two of their greatest current challenges as customer retention and competition.

To help local small businesses succeed in these areas, Kocina is creating face-to-face marketing events specifically by and for women. “We just added the home show element to our upcoming Girlfriends event because we understand that that home-related businesses, many of which are woman-owned, are starting to recover. They need a platform to get in front of thousands of potential women buyers to that they can to start filling their sales funnel.”

Kocina has a life-long interest in helping women succeed, and has been recognized multiple times for mentoring women in our community. A current board member and past chairman of the board of WomenVenture; a member of WPO and the National Association for Women Business Owners, she offers her top three economic recovery tips for local women business owners:

• Be creative: what you did before might not be enough right now. “Look for new ways to create an impact including blogs, Facebook and other social media. Because they enable you to stay in front of your customers with fresh, relevant content, these promotional channels can positively impact both customer retention and set your business apart from your competition.”
• Find face-to-face ways to interact with your primary audience. “In-person events such as the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway accelerate the selling process. They are considered best for branding, creating name recognition, and building databases. With more prospects in your sales pipeline, you’ll be able to rebound faster for post-recession profits.”  
• Consider how you might want to re-position your product or service. “Buyers are still making buying decisions. This is a good time to go after those people who are re-evaluating their current buying decisions. If you have a high-end product, you might want to focus your messaging on durability instead of luxury, for example.”

Kocina believes that it’s up to the women of America to get the country back on track. “Women juggle their personal and business obligations 24-hours a day. That’s why we tend to be better at prioritizing and seeing the whole picture. Our ability to approach an issue from this broader perspective is one of our best business advantages.”

Those interested in participating in the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway featuring the Women’s Home & Interior Design Expo, may visit www.101expos.com or call Helen, at 612-798-7232.

In an economy like this one, businesses often need to have an “edge” of some sort to keep their customers coming back.  For most small to mid-sized businesses- garnering personal relationships with existing customers creates customer loyalty.  (Which of course keeps your business running.)  For some, face time with direct consumers may be rare- but we believe strongly here at KBMC that it is a business MUST.  Check out our top 10 reasons to participate in an Expo to get those relationships started.

Why should your company exhibit at the Expo?

If you think having a booth at one of our consumer expos is just about selling your product or service, think again! Having a booth is about branding and marketing.

We thought it might be fun to put together our own Top 10 list for why you should reserve a booth at one or more of our upcoming expos. To help illustrate the advantages of an expo booth, we’re comparing it with a traditional newspaper ad.

10. It’s a great value.   Far less than you’d spend for a single ad in a newspaper with a sizeable circulation.

9. Increase your company’s name recognition. Exhibiting at an expo means that people will see your company’s name repeatedly: in our magazine, on our Web site, and at the show itself.  How many seconds will your prospects spend reading your ad in the newspaper – if they happen to see it at all?

8. Feature your best product on our Web site. With our free and exclusive Shop at the Show, you can feature you’re a full color photo of your best selling product on our expo Web site along with a 35-word description. How much extra does it cost to run a four-color ad in the newspaper?

7. Explain your features and benefits in detail and in person. Exhibiting in our expos gives you the opportunity to give prospects details about your product or service, answer questions, and receive feedback. You can even provide a demonstration on our stage! Newspaper ads aren’t face-to-face or interactive. 

6. Increase your database. Exhibit booths are ideal for pre-qualifying prospects and adding their contact information to your database. We even help collect that information for our sponsors! Few people respond to a newspaper ad by sending you their name, address and phone number.

5. Focus your marketing on the right demographics. All of our expos are highly targeted – which means we market the shows specifically to the type of people you want as customers. Newspaper ads blanket the general population.

4. Network with other professionals. Many business people take time to get to know fellow exhibitors, and share marketing ideas. Some companies even use our expos to prospect for local distributors. Newspaper ads don’t provide this type of service. 

3. Expert marketing support. We support your expo participation by conducting a comprehensive marketing campaign to bring the attendees to you. We blanket the target market with live radio and TV interviews, print articles, ads, tickets, magazines, postcards, opt-in e-mails, posters, flyers and more. As a result, we achieve millions of audience impressions.  We’re happy to provide a marketing recap from a recent expo as an example. A newspaper ad can’t be as in-depth, and can’t reach people via any other type of media except print.

2. Demonstrate your company’s commitment to your target market. Many people attend an expo just to browse. Or they may come to see one particular type of product. But here is where consistency pays off. If they see your booth at each expo, when they are in the market for something your company carries, they will remember your name. They will be much more likely to either call you directly or make specific plans to stop by your booth at the next expo. You may also achieve this type of result with a newspaper ad, but it will cost you more.

1.    Point of purchase sales. Okay, just because our expos are excellent ways for you to brand and market your company, doesn’t mean you won’t also make some sales during the event. You should always be prepared to sell something on the spot. Someone reading a newspaper ad must still take some sort of action before they can purchase from you.

Visit www.101expos.com for our online booth reservation form.  Our Girlfriends Expo & Getaway is coming up quickly- and there are still booths available for YOUR company.  Check www.101expos.com/geg for more information.  

Need some additional marketing advice? We’ve got you covered here at KBMC.  Check out www.kocinamarketingcompanies.com/trainings for our upcoming MarketSmart classes! All free!

We’ve all heard the old saying, “it’s all about who you know,” but is it really?

To be frank, Yes.  It really is.

Networking- the act of connecting with others and forming a relationship (of any sort) - is beneficial in business settings, as well as our personal lives.  In the same way that your best friend “knows someone” and scored tickets to your favorite concert for you, having a great working relationship with someone (or a lot of people), can help your business score big.  Events are a fantastic avenue for networking.  A well-planned event will put other industry leaders and consumers in front of you, giving you the opportunity to connect and build a relationship.

While it’s easy to accept an invitation to an event, making sure that you benefit from attending can be tricky.  Networking can seem daunting and almost unnatural for some business-types.  The trick is to remember that everyone else at the event is a person too.

Think about interactions you’ve had with new people in the past who you ended up hitting it off with- what did you say at the beginning?  More often than not, you asked a question about the other person and they caught your attention (and vice versa).  Be relaxed, and don’t just think of the person you are meeting as a potential sale for your business.  A strong relationship can often bring you more revenue, an increased customer base and a stronger business in the long run than an immediate sale ever could.

Bradley Will, of Unstrapp’d (A resource for Gen Y entrepreneurs) gives the top three questions to ask to become a networking champion in his November 3 blog entry.  You can find them here:  http://unstrappd.com/2009/11/03/become-a-networking-champion-with-3-questions/

What do you think? What are your best tips for becoming a networking champion?  Do you have a networking success story?

Three hometown organizations join to support local women impacted by breast cancer. When it comes to creating awareness,
 these women know there is power in numbers.  

When women feel emotionally drawn to a cause, there’s no stopping the momentum behind what they can do. This fall, three hometown organizations: Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, the Breast Cancer Awareness Association of Minnesota (BCAA) and Mid-America Events & Expos, Inc. are joining forces at a local event to support women in our community who have been impacted by breast cancer.

Thousands of women are expected to gather at Treasure Island Resort & Casino on November 20-21 for the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway.  In addition to unique shopping and free workshops, two other major event highlights will be the upscale fashion show produced by the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer’s Orono store, and the exciting silent auction benefiting the BCAA.

“We are so excited to be participating! Any time we can bring our uplifting message to so many women in our community, it’s a cause for celebration,” says Barbara Hensley, founder of Hope Chest for Breast Cancer who, along with Twin Cities Live co-host Elizabeth Ries, will emcee the show. Models will be breast cancer survivors. Everyone who attends the fashion show will receive a 25 percent off coupon to use at the store, which features high-end home furnishings in addition to women’s designer clothing and accessories, all of which is donated. To date, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer has donated more than $750,000 in support of local underserved women touched by breast cancer – often helping these women pay for food, rent and electricity.  The fashion show is at 1 pm on Saturday, November 21.

The silent auction is expected to be another big draw. Women will be able to bid on some amazing items, with BCAA’s proceeds going towards its efforts to educate and support women about the disease. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, more than 3,000 women in our state are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. 

“We’re pulling out all the stops to make sure everyone will have a great time!” says Robin Kocina, President of Mid-America Events & Expos, a woman-owned company which is producing the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway, which also features the Women’s Home & Interior Design Expo. “While the ladies are shopping, laughing and enjoying yourselves, they will also be doing something positive to help local woman coping with breast cancer. Our staff is mostly women, and two of our own have been struck by this disease. So our dedication to this cause is both personal and heartfelt. Just like the women behind BCAA and Hope Chest for Breast Cancer: we feel a strong need to make a difference, and the Girlfriends Expo presented an ideal opportunity. We know that when three groups of powerful women get together, we can make wonderful things happen.”

Mid-America Events & Expos is donating exhibit space at the expo to both the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer and BCAA. In addition, 50 percent of the Girlfriends Expo & Getaway ticket sales will be donated to BCAA, something that Kocina has done with the ticket sales for all of her company’s 2009 expos.

The Girlfriends Expo & Getaway is a chance for ladies to escape chaotic malls and those impossibly crowded parking lots. Mom needs a new purse? Would the sister who has everything love a fabulous scarf or necklace?  Want to explore the  newest trends in home décor? With more than 100 exhibits, there’s no need to get up at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. Find something perfect and unique at the show! Would you love a makeover? Cosmetic and makeup specialists will be there to offer professional advice.

Be sure to check it out!  www.101expos.com has discounted tickets!

IR: What have you been doing in your Communications Internship with Kocina Branding & Marketing Companies?

Intern: I update countless project overviews, examine their target audiences, and research different magazines that might be appropriate for clients’ articles and placements. I also scan scores of magazine clippings into the internal database, and copy DVDs of TV and audio clippings that I send out to the publicists’ clients.

IR: Do you do a lot of the background work required to create media awareness for clients?

Intern: I do an immense amount of work to keep things running smoothly for the publicists. Even though I do numerous small tasks, I am still learning a lot through asking questions and receiving constructive input from the publicists. I also learn more about the communications field through watching the publicists interact with all the clients and media representatives.

IR: Have you done any correspondence with any of these clients?

Intern: The publicists are the ones who directly communicate with the clients, but I did get a chance to meet one at an event I attended. Even though it was not required of me, I met the extreme bartender Scott Young, who is a spokesperson for our client Drinkin’ Mate.

IR: That is awesome! Can you describe the rest of your experience so far in your internship?

Intern: I really am enjoying it, because it is continuously busy and ever-changing. Every day is different and provides a new learning experience for me. I also really like that I am constantly moving and working to complete tasks on a deadline.

IR: What is the most important aspect of the communications field that you have learned in your experience?

Intern: The most important thing I have learned is that every project has to have a high level of detail. You will be given a bad assessment if your client sees holes or misinformation in your work. I have also realized that working in the communications field allows for loads of creativity and independence. Sometimes I will be given an assignment by a publicist that gives me the opportunity to learn through making your own decisions and being imaginative.

IR: What else do you love about the internship besides working on the different projects?

Intern: I love being able to have a first-hand look at products that have not been seen by the consumer audience. They are all very fun products that usually cannot be marketed by boring and traditional advertising. It is really fun devising ways of making these products public to their target market audiences.

 IR: Have you used various social networking websites to create awareness of these products?

Intern: I do not personally work with them, but the publicists definitely use websites such as Facebook and Twitter to create exposure. Since I grew up with these websites, I am able to help those publicists who are just learning how to use them. These new websites have proved extremely effective in communicating a product’s message to the mass audience.

IR: Very true! What is your next step towards a communications career after your internship ends?

Intern: I will be a senior this year, and I applied for another internship at my college in Indiana. Through my classes and current internship, I know that the key to a successful career is having enough experience. I know I will have a promising future by utilizing everything I have learned in this wonderful internship. 

IR: That sounds excellent. Good luck with completing your internship and choosing your next path!

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

Michelle: I began the week by making marketing partnership calls for our event clients.

IR: Can you explain how a marketing partnership call works?

Michelle: We have conference calls with our clients and the show decorators to discuss and finalize the booth layout designs. We also had to create the 20×40 booth for a big trade show a client is having in October.

IR: Do conference calls have a significant impact on carrying out the event?

Michelle: Yes, because a lot of the time the events occur in different states. We conduct conference calls to decide what products will be showcased, what designs to use, and how we will carry out the event. Conference calls enable us to answer any necessary questions and handle logistics in a timely manner.

IR: That sounds important! Is it difficult to explain design ideas over the phone?

Michelle: We email the designs to the call participants so that everyone can see them during the call. This is important, because we can provide feedback and decide on any necessary changes during one conversation. Conference calls are extremely important in making each event as successful as it can be.

IR: Do you conduct conference call for every event you work on?

Michelle: It depends on where the event is taking place, and also on where the client is. We do a lot of conference calls because we have an abundance of events across the United States. Conference calls allow us to stay on track with our clients and make sure we are in line with their goals.

IR: Who generally participates in these calls?

Michelle: That varies. In today’s conference call, we spoke to someone who is always on site and is responsible for setting up the booth before we arrive at our events.  We called to let her know that we had a general idea of what we were doing for one of our client’s future events. She is very familiar with our needs and action lists, so she is extremely helpful in setting everything up. In our conference call this morning, we reviewed the ideas she would relay to her designer. The designer will usually make additional suggestions what we may need for the event in a future conference call.  

IR: Do you have before, during, and post-event conference calls?

Michelle: We usually have a couple to make sure we are all on the same page. Sometimes we can accomplish a great deal through email, but it really depends on the nature of the events and our role in those events.

IR: That sounds great! I cannot wait to catch up with you next week!

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

Publicist: My team and I worked on a Las Vegas national conference for National Strength and Conditioning Association, NSCA. We have been very busy contacting Las Vegas and national media about doing stories on the conference.

IR: What media outlets have you contacted to cover the conference?

Publicist: I have corresponded with local television, radio and print to do stories and create media awareness before, during and after the event. I have also approached national publications such as Fitness Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, and American Fitness Magazine to do post-event stories in their future publications. Since we have a huge list of resources, I have encountered loads of success in promoting the national conference to the public!

IR: Are you asking the media to attend the event to provide coverage?

Publicist: Factors such as budget cuts make it somewhat difficult for media representatives to travel and attend the conference. I try to make it easy for the media contacts by providing them with programs and websites to check out, just in case they are interested in attending and covering the event. I will also set up telephone interviews and give them pre-written articles to help them enhance the event awareness.

IR: What kind of coverage do you hope to achieve through contacting all the media outlets?

Publicist: I am trying to get a lot of local television and newspaper coverage of the event, and I hope to get exposure in magazines on a more national standing.

IR: What is the best way to approach the media to provide coverage of an event?

Publicist: It is very important to show that you support the media representatives in all of their efforts in creating event awareness. Since many sources have experienced immense budget cuts, it is difficult for them to find the time to do background research on events. I provide my media contacts with any necessary background information so they can easily do stories on the event. Another imperative factor is being “politely persistent”, and showing the media representative that you are very supportive of them doing a story on the event.

IR: Do you contact the media representatives by phone, email or press releases?

Publicist: All three listed channels of communication are immensely helpful in contacting the media sources. If I use any of these communicative media and do not get a direct response, I always aim for a call back. Sometimes I will send the media a press release through email, and they will dial me right away. Other times I will get a reply right after leaving the contact a quick voicemail.

IR: Do you usually get an immediate response after you approach the media?

Publicist: Although the national conference is time-specific, the topics in the media’s stories are not. Therefore, I sometimes will not get a call back from the media representatives until several months after I first approached them.

IR: How early do you usually contact the media to provide coverage for an event?

Publicist: I contacted the national magazines 2-3 months prior to the event, because they need enough time to add editorial in their future publications. For example, I talked to Muscle & Fitness 3 months before the national conference. Since the August issue came out around the end of June, the magazine editors said they would add the conference information to the publication. This was excellent news, because the magazine issue has created massive media awareness of the national conference.

IR: What is the next step in creating even more media awareness of the event?

Publicist: We are sending a videographer to record a short video highlighting the national conference. We will then send this video segment to different sources and hopefully get even more event exposure.

 IR: Excellent work! I cannot wait to catch up with your publicity team soon!

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

Publicist: Our client, AmeriLab, is sponsoring a team in the Rolex Racing Series: The #07 Drinkin’ Mate Pontiac GXP team, which is the defending league champion.  The next big Rolex Series race is the Porsche 250 in Birmingham, Alabama.  We are creating media awareness for the event and for the new team sponsor by arranging appearances for the lead drivers on local television newscasts and talk shows, as well as morning and afternoon drive-time radio interviews.  We have also been in contact with the newspapers in the area so that we can provide them with editorial content for race coverage.

IR: What type of media coverage are you hoping to get?

Publicist:  We are working to make arrangements with local television and newspaper journalists and videographers to come out to the track to meet with the drivers and crew.  We are hoping to provide an inside look at the Rolex Racing Series for Birmingham residents.  Our goal is to show how drivers and their team prepare for a race, and how they handle the obstacles that arise in racing. We hope to really illustrate the sportsmanship and fun of this particular racing series.  

IR: Are you contacting the media through phone, email or press releases?

Publicist:  We always try to make contact with the media by phone.  With this type of media push in particular, it is important to be able to connect with reporters and producers on a personal level, as we need to find the members of the media who have a genuine interest in racing as a sport.  This type of story doesn’t necessarily fit in with most hard-news format shows; we need to find specific reporters who are willing to co-produce a story with us.  Of course after we make contact with the reporters and producers, and have established mutual goals and plans, we will send them any type of information or supporting resources that they need whether that is by e-mail or mail. 

IR: Is the team working to secure any national television coverage in addition to the local stories?

Publicist: We are really focusing on the local media in Birmingham for the Porsche 250.  The Rolex Series doesn’t have the same type of national pull that NASCAR may have, and since the event is July 17-19 we need to be sure that we’re using our time wisely to promote our client.  At this point, the Rolex Series itself may end up being more of the focus of a national news story, and the focus on our client sponsoring the race team could easily fall by the wayside.  We are not looking to handle any type of race standings, or straight sports or statistics stories.  Our goal is to provide editorial content to the media; we’re providing the story that you won’t find just by sending a reporter to the race.   We’re looking to put a face and personality to the race in order to promote our client’s overarching goals.

IR: What is the next step in creating and handling the media awareness?

Publicist: A few of us have been using Twitter to get the word out in a non-conventional form about the race and the Drinkin’ Mate Pontiac GXP race team.   The rest of this week our publicity team will focus on solidifying details so that local journalists may get their story, and pursue interviews on top Birmingham radio stations for morning and afternoon drive-time interviews.  We will also be on the lookout for opportunities to appear in Birmingham magazines that focus on “what’s happening” types of stories.  

IR: Keep staying busy! I cannot wait to catch up with your publicity team next week!

A Satisfied Farewell by an Enlightened Marketing Intern

                I entered into the Kocina Branding & Marketing Companies’ marketing internship without any presumptions about how it would change me. As a college sophomore striving for a major in public relations, I definitely had several doubts about taking on the position. One primary concern fogging my vision of success was how I could tie the internship’s marketing aspects into my public relations major. I also wondered if my talents and skills would prove useful to the workplace. Despite these worries, I can now look back on the whole experience with a satisfying sense of fulfillment.

                 The marketing knowledge I obtained through this internship will stay with me forever. I learned through Lonny Kocina that consumers now choose to block out traditional advertising through older communicative mediums. Due to this factor, I discovered that having an effective tactic is crucial for marketing success. I also realized that being technologically-savvy is key to selling a company message or product. With all the new up-to-date communication channels, I see that there are so many ways for businesses to send their message to any consumer. With these new ideas in mind, I took on many innovative tasks that truly enhanced my professional skills and understanding of marketing.

                Corresponding with corporations and securing Lonny Kocina speaking opportunities was a task that really benefitted my personal growth. I discovered how to professionally send our company’s ideas to recognized corporations. Being an administrator of the company Facebook was another enlightening experience. I utilized my networking capabilities and discovered firsthand how effective up-to-date communicative channels are in marketing. Additionally, I developed new work abilities through doing daily office tasks like pricing out mail and answering phone calls.

                My marketing internship with Kocina Branding & Marketing Companies really enlightened me. I feel a very positive connection to the workplace and all the employees I had the pleasure of meeting. I recommend fulfilling this internship to everyone, because it will change them as it has changed me.

Farewell and thank you Kocina Branding & Marketing Companies for this wonderful opportunity.