PRISM Blog

Dallas Market Center Becomes First Wholesale Marketplace to Roll Out Innovative, Customized Mobile Application

PRISM Media Group has announced the launch of its new comprehensive mobile tradeshow application. The innovative application has been released as the DallasMarket app, and provides tools for connecting buyers and exhibitors at Dallas Market Center’s January Total Home and Gift Show.  The app’s release marks another bold step in PRISM Media Group’s strategy to provide clients with multiple avenues of communication.

“We recognized that there was a void in the tradeshow apps available, and wanted to create something that was truly innovative and intuitive,” explained Lori Harvey, Publisher for PRISM Media Group. “As a media company specializing in communication, we set out to design an app that provided greater communication opportunities and met the specific needs of Dallas Market Center clients.”

Working closely with Dallas Market Center, PRISM was able to customize their interface to meet all of the needs of tradeshow attendees. In doing so, they also created the most personalized and comprehensive tradeshow app on the market today, with multiple tools to help buyers navigate Dallas Market and have a more satisfying, successful market experience.

“This app not only connects buyers and exhibitors, but it also connects attendees with Dallas Market Center,” Harvey said. “By using the latest technology in an entirely new way, we are able to customize each experience in a manner that simply hasn’t been done before.”

The app’s tools include:
-    A Google-powered search function to provide quick location of exhibitors, products and lines
-    Exhibitor profiles
-    Floor maps and a campus guide
-    Market food guide, with food outlet locations and hours
-    Custom reminder alerts for special events
-    DMC Twitter feed
-    Shuttle and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail information

Additionally, the app includes a “My Market” function that allows attendees to mark their favorite showrooms, schedule appointments and seminars, and take digital notes to reference after the event. The “Around Town” feature provides listings and ideas for after-Market activities.
In addition to being compatible with smart phone platforms, the DallasMarket App is the first market application available for iPad. It is available as a free download from the iTunes and Android App Stores.
 
About PRISM Media Group
Since launching in 1993, PRISM Media Group has become one of the Southwest’s oldest and most established content development, marketing and delivery companies. Beginning with a stronghold in the custom publishing space, PRISM has extended its reach of services to include online, mobile and social media solutions. Today, PRISM uses its diverse offerings to allow clients to communicate with their customers in the way that works best for them.

This year, PRISM Media Group walks in honor of Rebecca Carpenter, cancer survivor

LEWISVILLE, Texas (October 14, 2011) – For the eighth year, PRISM Media Group will walk in support of the fight against cancer in the Komen Dallas Race for the Cure being held at North Park Center on October 15.

“It is important to us that we support this cause and the women battling this disease, as well as the survivors and all of their families,” said PRISM Companies CEO Ray Larson. “This year, we are happy to walk in honor of Rebecca Carpenter who beat the cancer.  She’s a survivor!”

Carpenter is the mother of one of 15 PRISM employees participating in this year’s walk.  The 58-year-old Carrollton resident has been cancer free since April 2009.  Employees will be joined by their families on the team, continuing what has become a tradition for PRISM Media Group.

About PRISM Media Group

PRISM Media Group provides customized, results-oriented content marketing solutions to clients in a variety of print and digital arenas. Services include print and digital publishing, interactive marketing, tradeshow marketing, social media and mobile media. To learn more about PRISM Media Group, visit them online at www.prismmediagroup.com or find them on Facebook.

You’ve heard it over and over again: “Content is King.” But you may wonder how your business should go about integrating content into your overall marketing strategy. With so many content marketing tactics available, deciding the best way to distribute your content can be a daunting task.

If your business objectives include connecting and building meaningful relationships with a specific audience and sharing valuable, high-quality content that is relevant and resonates with them, then a custom publication may be the answer for you.

Custom magazines are similar to traditional magazines in look and feel but are sponsored, produced and issued by a company or brand with the intent of brand building, relationship building and establishing a position of authority or thought leadership on a particular topic. Created in both print and digital formats, custom magazines draw the audience to your products and services while also providing solutions to their problems along with other relevant information. Nearly any industry or business sector can benefit from custom publishing; from banking to healthcare to retail, any business that wants to generate leads, educate and retain customers, sustain internal communications or support sales can benefit from a custom magazine.

Consumers are on board with custom magazines as well. According to the Custom Content Council:

• 90% of consumers find custom content useful

• 78% of people believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them

• 77% understand that the goal for these organizations is to sell them something but are okay with it as long as it provides value

A custom magazine allows your business to strengthen relationships with existing clients, target new clients and debut new products and services. The benefits of custom publishing are undeniable. Let’s get started!

Need help creating a custom publication or producing great content? PRISM Media Group can help. Visit our website or call us at 469-645-2408.

Content marketing is fast becoming the go-to marketing technique for businesses.  In fact, studies show that content marketing will soon dominate traditional marketing techniques.  Retailers can benefit from a solid content marketing strategy and connect with prospects by publishing relevant content that addresses buyer needs.

• 72% of consumers prefer to get information from a company in the form of articles over advertising

• 51% feel better about a company that delivers custom content and are in turn more likely to buy from that company. 

To make the most out of content marketing:

Promote your videos in your email marketing campaigns, on your website and on your company Facebook page.  Consider including links to your videos in your regular email communication as well. 

How successful was your last trade show event?  We hope that it was incredibly successful and that you headed home with orders in hand.  Unfortunately, not all businesses are that lucky.  While trade shows can be a significant investment, participation should be a significant portion of your marketing plan.  Trade shows are great for allowing you to showcase your wares to a very targeted audience.  What better way to enhance the visibility of your products, meet prospective customers and maintain a presence in the market place?  But its not enough to do a show...you've got to do it right!  And doing it right means executing a well planned marketing strategy to draw traffic to your booth and maximize your investment.

Think of trade show marketing as a 3-step process:  Pre-show Marketing, At Market Initiatives and Post-show Follow Up.

Pre-Show Marketing 
To ensure success at your next show, start early!  Plan ahead and start engaging with existing and potential customers well before the show to let them know you'll be there and where they can find you.  A personalized phone call is always nice but incorporate other methods of communication as well.  Execute a direct mail or email marketing campaign to personally invite them to your booth.  Update your website with your show schedule.  Utilize social networks to get the word out.

At Market Initiatives
Don't slack on your marketing initiatives once you make it to she show.  Offer prospects and customers an incentive to visit your booth.  Accomplish this by generating excitement and a buzz around your booth with drawings and giveaways, interactive games, new product demonstrations and samples.  Take advantage of social media and advanced technology by tweeting live from the show.  Getting your message in front of show attendees on their smartphones or other mobile devices shows that you're not only in touch, but care about keeping them in the loop.  Don't forget about on-site advertising opportunities!  Find out where show management allows it and how to participate.  Also use your time at the show to capture detailed lead information for post-show follow up.

Post-Show Follow Up
Following up post-show might be the most important step.  After all that hard work, you want to make sure you close some deals, right?  Again, follow up with a personal phone call, send a thank you note or execute a post-show marketing campaign.  Read our post on how to Follow Up Post-Market with Email Marketing.

Need help planning show marketing or executing your marketing ideas?  PRISM Media Group can help!  Visit our website or give us a call at 469-645-2400.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Magazines produced for Dallas Market Center cited as winners in “Best Retail Publication” category

About PRISM Media Group
PRISM Media Group provides customized, results-oriented content marketing solutions to clients in a variety of print and digital arenas. Services include print and digital publishing, interactive marketing, tradeshow marketing, social media and mobile media. To learn more about PRISM Media Group, visit them online at http://solutions.prismmediagroup.com or find them on Facebook.

The Total Home & Gift show at Dallas Market Center wrapped this week.  As we walked the floors of the Market, checking in on some of our clients, we were thrilled to see how busy some of the showrooms and booths were.  Especially the ones that took advantage of the advertising opportunities available through Dallas Market Center's partnership with PRISM Media Group!  We know that the ads placed in The Source and the Directory, as well as the amazing On-Site Media opportunities were a huge draw and helped buyers know where to find your showrooms and product lines.  But what happened once they made it there?  Did you get the sale?  We hope that you did but if not, what's your plan for follow up?  How will you keep your potential customers engaged?  A great way to follow up with and maintain communication is with an email marketing campaign.

Some of you may already be doing this and for some it is on your growing to-do list.  In either case, we want to help make you and your email marketing campaigns successful.  Here are a few quick tips to make sure your email marketing campaigns are effective:

• Have an interesting subject line:  Your subject line should be interesting and intriguing in order to encourage recipients to open your email.  It's decided in the first few words of your subject line whether or not your message is of interest to them.
• Keep the emails short & to the point:  You may have a lot that you want to say but only relay the important points in your email marketing.  Long emails with a lot of text and paragraphs are not thoroughly read.  Keep it short and sweet.
• Include a strong call to action:  Now that the recipient is engaged, make sure to tell them what to do next.  Whether its to visit your website or Facebook page or to call for more information, make sure the instructions are clear.
• Include all of your contact info: Your potential customers will need to know how to get in touch with you.  Make it easy by prominently displaying all of your contact information.  This will also assure recipients that the email is legitimate and from a reliable source. 

Don't have time to successfully launch your own email marketing campaign?  That's okay, we can help!  Visit:  http://solutions.prismmediagroup.com/ for more information or give us a call at 469-645-2400.

Since $38 billion has been spent in ecommerce in 2011 so far this year, and that represents an increase of 10% over 2010, now is the time more than ever to invest in a content strategy that makes sense and will be profitable in the short and long haul. 

The Long and Winding Road: The Gamesmanship of Shopping report has been recently released and focuses on what consumers are looking for. One thing is apparent here and that’s while shoppers are warming to the idea of online shopping like never before, they also want to be sure they can finish the process quickly and have the best deal.

There are some interesting statistics here including the fact that: 
• 55% of shoppers say shopping on the web has made them more careful about what they buy
• 49% ask for friend’s input
• 82% are sold on the idea of online shopping
• 60% shop online to find the best deal
• 17% find they are in fact impulsive more so on the Web

What all this points to is the new way of doing business and a clear indication that any content strategy and interactive marketing campaign will need to focus on cost or any deals/coupons rather than any of the methods that worked better in other times. Research from one of the biggest search engines, Yahoo, has some further suggestions that include creating an experience that meshes the online and offline experiences and creating brand trust through the newer models like social media marketing where consumer input is used to design the brand image.  

Although there is still some conjecture about the best metric to use when designing a content strategy that will involve social media marketing, there’s no doubt considering this most recent information that impulse buying isn’t the domain of the online shopper is something to be considered.

Interactive marketing is generally fast paced and unforgiving. Like life itself, the only constant is change and so you need to be aware of what’s happening now and what still works from yesterday. More consumers are moving toward smartphones and tablets and that means they are looking at ways to view email on these devices.
 
Melanie Attia, Product Marketing Manager for Campaigner has studied the matter and has a few suggestions that make the transition a little more focused and clear. It seems that, like a lot of other things in the interactive marketing arena, some of the changes necessary are about making some common sense adjustments.
 
For example, Attia explains that one of the transitions needs to be compressing any images you use in an e-mail marketing campaign designed for mobile devices. She also goes on to explain if you can’t compress the images properly for use on a smart phone or tablet, it's best to rework the message itself so that clearly explains any missing information that's left behind by the lack of visual.
 
She also says there's really no cause for alarm and that many of the traditional ratios that existed for an e-mail marketing campaign before mobile applications became all the rage still work. For example where possible, you should be sending a 70 to 30 ratio between content and images and a call to action should still be present somewhere in the e-mail preferably with the image.
The first five words of the subject line are still one of the most important parts where you need to make the sale and it’s still essential to make sure all of the most important content is front and center following the more traditional roles of the inverted pyramid borrowed from journalism.

There’s no doubt that if you’ve invested heavily in social media marketing or search engine optimized content as your interactive marketing vehicle of choice, you need to be sure you’re on top of all the metrics that will give you a clear advantage in deciding what’s working and what isn’t.

A new survey by the Ponemon Institute is shining a new light on what’s becoming a hot button topic in the world of Internet advertising—namely the fact that technology exists for businesses and others to use online tracking as a way of looking at trends when it comes to consumer preferences. Now although this technique is highly useful from the industry standpoint, it has raised some privacy issues in the past.
 
Still, like most other things there doesn’t seem to be any clear black and white areas when it comes to online tracking; or if there are, the ever changing landscape of technology seems to blur them constantly. To the point:
 
Fraud prevention provider ThreatMetrix has just released some information that points to the fact 85% of consumers are worried about the perception that online businesses don’t provide enough protection to ensure safe transactions on the Internet. That idea slows the emerging attitude toward online purchases.
 
However, the same research shows that, under the right circumstances, these folks were willing to do their part to help lessen fraud. For example, 88% were willing to give up the serial number of their computer and 71% were willing to part with their browser settings. Most of the people surveyed felt it was okay for business to track them for fraud prevention, but the survey also went on to say a great majority don’t report what they perceive to be this activity when they have fallen prey to it. Of the 42% that said they had fallen victim to online fraud, 80% said they didn’t report it.

• Almost half at 44% said the reason they wouldn’t commit had nothing to do with the cart at all but rather the simple fact that handling and shipping costs were too high.
• Another 27% wanted to make price comparisons.