OUR WORK

Over the years, we have worked on a huge variety of marketing programs for various clients.  Below are few select examples:

​

Campbell Soup Company: Southern California Hispanic program (marketing strategy, research, advertising)

​

Campbell Soup’s Southern California sales office was experiencing declining sale in the territory.  The Market Connection was tasked with developing a plan for turning this around.

We began with an exploration of the current situation by reviewing past performance and conducting in depth interviews with key stakeholders in the Southern California office. Four facts stood out:

• The Campbell’s primary product was their soup line which is primarily a winter product sold to the general population as a convenience item

• Key secondary products included Prego Spaghetti Sauce (also a convenience item) and Early California Olives

• The majority of their marketing/promotional budget was being spent on distributing Dodger baseball tickets (a Summer activity) to grocery buyers

• There were no efforts being made to reach the Hispanic market despite representing 40% of the population in the territory, many who are bilingual or Spanish language dominant

 

Our primary recommendation was to develop a marketing program targeting the Hispanic community, specifically reaching the female head of household who are primary grocery shoppers.   Research was conducted that indicated Hispanic grocery shoppers were more interested in providing quality meals for their family than convenience for themselves and that they were very interested in trying new products (despite Campbell’s prevailing belief that Hispanic consumers were strongly brand loyal).  We developed a comprehensive Spanish language marketing program including:

• Positioning Campbell Soup products as quality ingredients for preparing tasty meals and promoting recipes how to cook with Campbell Soup

• Radio, print and outdoor advertising

• Development and distribution of a Campbell Soup cookbook in Spanish

• In store displays and cooking demos with an Hispanic celebrity chef

• Short television cooking segments distributed through local Spanish television outlets leading to a Campbell Soup cooking video distributed in-store

 

Net result of this program was a 73% same store increase in sales over two years.

 

Bank of America: Better Money Habits, Small Business Owners Report (thought leadership/public release research)

 

Bank of America had been running Better Money Habits, a program to promote financial literacy among the younger population, for several years.  One component was a thought leadership survey among Millennials to drive media interest. The survey was not generating much traction in the media due at least in part to a methodology which was not considered sufficiently representative of the target population. 

 

GfK was approached to revamp the survey.  The survey was re-launched using KnowledgePanel, the premier online probability sample.  Based on the new research design, B of A and their agency Burson-Marsteller, were successful at creating a partnership with USA Today to distribute the survey results and promote Better Money Habits. Based on comprehensive public relations support, the annual Better Money Habits survey continues to generate millions of impressions annually among the general population in the U.S.

 

As a follow up, GfK was asked to take over a small business owners survey which drives the B of A Small Business Owners Report by tracking perceptions, opinions and activities of small business owners across the country in the survey conducted twice a year.  The survey also includes Spotlights of key audiences such as Hispanic, African American and Women owned small businesses.  The Small Business Owners Report successfully positions B of A as a leader in providing financial services to this important market sector.

 

Pillsbury: Kid’s Bake-off (public relations, event marketing)

​

The Pillsbury Marketing Manager for the Albertsons’ chain, their second largest customer, was experiencing difficulty securing support for the traditional in-store promotions which include off-shelf displays.  Seasonal off shelf displays generally drive substantial incremental sales.  The Market Connection was asked to develop a new program targeting Albertson’s.  We created Pillsbury Kids Bake-Off, a spin-off of the long standing Pillsbury Bake-Off .  Executed for three consecutive years in partnership with Albertson’s in their key markets across the country, the program included:

• In store product displays

• In-store and coop marketing promotion of the contest inviting kids to enter their favorite recipe using Pillsbury products

• Live in market events where the selected children came and prepared their recipes for a panel of celebrity judges (Alberston’s executives and local news broadcasters) including an appearance by the Pillsbury Dough Boy

• Comprehensive local market public relations promotion of the event in local media including TV news taping of the event and interviews with Albertson’s executives

 

The three year program delivered the following:

• Significant increase in off-shelf display and promotion of Pillsbury products

• Increase in coop advertising of Pillsbury products in Albertson’s circulars

• Substantial in market media exposure for Pillsbury and Alberston’s through blanket news coverage of the live events

• Dramatic improvement in the relationship between Pillsbury and their number 2 grocer customer

• Double digit sales increases of Pillsbury products in participating markets

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Toyo Tires USA (comprehensive public relations support)

​

TMC Automotive Group was retained by Toyo Tires USA to revamp and improve the results generated by their public relations program. 

• We began with a thorough media relations outreach effort meeting in person with virtually every automotive consumer and tire trade publication. 

• We then launched a vigorous campaign of product press release distribution, new product introduction press conferences,  and product placement on magazine feature vehicles. 

• TMC created the industry’s first digital media kit for the SEMA automotive aftermarket trade show and supported annual media events. 

 

The program resulted in a 74% increase in media presence in the first two years and annual double digit sales increases.  TMC Automotive Group retained the Toyo Tires pr business for over 20 years.

 

 

 

AARP (thought leadership, public policy research, and research for public release)

​

Shortly after joining GfK, I was asked to

take over a troubled Hispanic Market

Segmentation project.  I built a good

working relationship with the project

lead at AARP and delivered results which

became the foundation for a complete

makeover of the organizations approach

to the multicultural markets including a

follow up segmentation project among

the African American population.  The

images in the slide to the right are of the

full wallpapering of the AARP office

corridors as part of the internal socialization

of the project results.

 

This began a comprehensive client development program leading to rapid growth of the account and a variety of research projects including product/program development and testing, public policy support (thought leadership), research for publication, and performance tracking (member awareness and satisfaction) programs. 

 

Total revenue to GfK doubled in 6 years.

 

Saleen Automotive: A Hollywood Story (public relations program)

​

TMC Automotive Group was retained by Steve Saleen to assist with the re-launch of his performance car building business focused on introduction of the new generation SN-95-based Saleen Mustang in 1994. 

 

Our efforts focused on editorial placement in automotive publications featuring the new models, media support, press events and a few special TV events.  We secured cover treatments in three of the top four automotive titles (Road and Track, Motor Trend and Automobile) and a major inside spread in the fourth (Car and Driver), as well as substantial coverage in all of the Ford and Mustang related titles in one year. 

 

Steve is a creative marketing thinker.  As such he developed a relationship with Tim Allen in the early 90’s, arguable the biggest Hollywood star of the time.  The relationship resulted in building a custom one-off Saleen Mustang for Tim and Tim joining the Saleen SCCA World Challenge racing team.  The build and delivery of the car resulted in two segments on Entertainment Tonight and one “only in Hollywood” story. 

 

Tim was a frequent guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  Both being cars guys, for one show they devised a car related segment where one would challenge the other as to who

could burn rubber the farthest.  This led to them going out to the studio parking lot to burn rubber in their “wives cars” which they both just happen to drive that day.  For Jay this was a Shelby Cobra from his extensive car collection, and for Tim, a Saleen Mustang Steve borrowed from a local customer.  On the day of the show I received a call from one of the show producers asking if we could quickly cut the top off of the Saleen Mustang so it would match the topless Cobra Jay would be driving.  Needless to say, that didn’t happen, but the segment did feature a cool Saleen Mustang driven by Tim.

​

Forest Business Network (marketing communications)

​

FBN is the foremost aggregator and disseminator of forest products news in the industry. 

More importantly, they have been at the forefront of promoting forest health for many years. 

Acting as a communications consultant with FBN, we lobbied the leading companies in

the forest products sector to create a comprehensive communications strategy to educate

the public on the positive sustainable practices of the forest products industry and the

environmental benefit of using wood versus alternative materials in construction and

production of a wide variety of products.   The North American Forest Partnership was

formed as a direct result of those efforts and a highly effective communications program

called #ForestProud was created.  Through FBN, I have spoken at numerous forest

industry related conferences and supported their efforts, first with the Small Log

Conference, and more recently with the International Mass Timber Conference which is

promoting the use of mass timber in North America and around the world. 

​

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (marketing and communications)

 

Serving as VP of Marketing and Communications for RMEF  included responsibility for sponsorship and advertising sales, communications outreach, membership, publications and TV production, and Elk Camp, the annual convention for volunteers.  During my tenure, we created a new corporate logo, developed and enforced the first ever set of graphic standards for the organization, hit record membership growth, created several new revenue streams and launched Team Elk, innovative new public outreach through a radio and print PSA program leveraging celebrity support for RMEF.

​

​

​

​

Advertising and collateral materials:

 

We have executed advertising and collateral material programs for a variety of clients, some examples are showcased below:

​

​