Recent Headlines...
• Momentum Receives International Design
Awards
• Momentum Creative Director Honored
• Momentum launches Think Local First
Campaign with Chamber of Commerce
• Momentum receives award from
Empire State
Games
• Steve Mayhew Named to
Mid-Hudson Civic
Center Board of Directors
• Andrew MacFarlane Joins Board of
International Printer Association
• Middletown Medical Selects Momentum
As its Agency of Record
• Momentum Advertising joins forces with
The Hudson Valley Empire State Games
• Eisenhower Hall Theatre Names
Momentum Advertising & Design as
Advertising Agency of Record
• Planet Wings Enterprises Selects
Momentum Advertising & Design to
Manage All Corporate and Franchise
Marketing and Advertising Programs
• The Gardens on Catlin Creek Chooses
Momentum as Advertising Agency of
Record
• Poughkeepsie Journal selects Momentum
Advertising President to join
“Ask the Experts” panel. Read the column.
• Momentum Advertising expands staff and
hires Media Manager.
• Momentum graduates fifth intern.
• Momentum selected to create Greater
Southern Dutchess Chamber of
Commerce's Member Directory for the
third year in a row.
Momentum Launches “THINK LOCAL FIRST” campaign in partnership with Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce
Momentum Advertising & Design in partnership with the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of a new marketing initiative entitled ‘Think Local First.” The campaign was designed to promote local businesses by asking the people in the community to patronize local businesses whenever possible for any products or services they may need.
Momentum developed the logo which will become the foundation of the campaign as well as print ads, billboard advertising and radio script. Momentum also produced a 30 second television spot that will air locally. Stickers were produced and mailed to all Chamber members.
The campaign was presented to local media executives at an introduction breakfast held at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel. “We’re asking all the local print, TV, radio and outdoor media companies to partner with us by donating ad time or space to help us create awareness in the market of this new campaign,” said Charlie North, President, Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce. The reception by the local media was very favorable and the campaign kicked off in November.
Although the campaign was developed to help create local interest for merchants during the holiday season, the goal is for the program to continue indefinitely. We’re asking those who advertise regularly to include the logo in their ads to help create brand awareness. “When Charlie North contacted us about this campaign, we were very excited to be their partner on such a meaningful project,” stated Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum. “This is something that could have a positive impact on the local economy for a long time to come.”
Steve Mayhew Named to Mid-Hudson Civic Center Board of Directors
Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum Advertising & Design has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Mid-Hudson Civic Center at its annual meeting held in September. “I am proud to be a board member of something that is as important and vital to the community as the Mid-Hudson Civic Center” said Steve Mayhew. “I hope my marketing expertise will be helpful during my tenure on the board.” Mr. Mayhew will serve a three year term on the board.
Andrew MacFarlane Joins Board of International Printer Association
Andrew MacFarlane, Creative Director for Momentum Advertising & Design was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the International Association of Printing House Craftsman (IAPHC). The IAPHC is a printing and graphic arts association dedicated to the development and enhancement of the printing and graphic arts industry through education, information and research. “The technology and philosophies being applied to our industry are developing at an incredible pace,” said Mr. MacFarlane. “As a board member I can play a vital role in communicating these developments to our constituency, allowing us to stay at the forefront of the industry.” Mr. MacFarlane was appointed to a two year term.
Momentum Creative Director Andrew MacFarlane Honored as Dutchess County Shaker by Chamber of Commerce
(E. Fishkill, N.Y. February 14, 2006) The Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce has announced that Andrew MacFarlane, Creative Director for Momentum Advertising & Design, has been selected as one of forty people under the age of 40 whose efforts are shaping the Hudson River Valley Region. Termed the “Dutchess County Shaker Awards.” this elite group of people, represent the movers and shakers of the business community who have experienced major success by the age of 40 and are making a notable impact on their respective industries.
Andrew, who is just 30 years old, is an award-winning designer and the Creative Director for Momentum Advertising & Design, a full-service advertising agency in Dutchess County. Mr. MacFarlane is responsible for overseeing all creative services that Momentum offers including both the graphic/web design and multi-media segments of the business. Andrew is in charge of all training, art direction and overall management of the entire department. He also supervises the graphic intern program to include any advanced training necessary for interns to have a successful learning experience while at Momentum.
“It was an honor to be chosen amongst all the talented young people in the Hudson Valley,” stated Mr. MacFarlane, “it just inspires me to continue to be as successful as I possibly can.” Andrew isn’t selfish with his talents either. He has donated his services to The Putnam Association of Retarded Children (PARC) in the creative development of their annual report for 2 years in a row. He was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the International Association of Printing House Craftsman (IAPHC) for a 2 year term. The IAPHC is a printing and graphic arts association dedicated to the development and enhancement of the printing and graphic arts industry through education, information and research.
Momentum Advertising Receives Two International Awards of Excellence
(East Fishkill, NY) Momentum Advertising & Design received both a Bronze and Silver Award at the 31st International Gallery of Superb Printing Showcase. This year marked the sixth straight year that more than 2,500 entries were judged, with submissions originating from Australia, Britain, China, Holland, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico New Zealand, Singapore and throughout North America. More than four dozen international judges trained their expert eyes on the entries for up to three grueling rounds before the Best of the Best winners were announced.
Momentum Advertising & Design won a Silver Award for Superb Craftsmanship for their development of a Corporate Identity Package for their client, MD Imaging. The package included a pocket folder, brochure, step inserts, direct mail, DVD and stationary materials. Momentum also won a Bronze Award for Superb Craftsmanship for the development of their own website, www.momentumadvertising.com “This award was particularly gratifying, said Andrew MacFarlane, Creative Director for Momentum. We are extremely pleased when materials we develop for our clients win awards, but it’s also satisfying when the materials we craft for ourselves receive international recognition.”
The International Gallery of Superb Printing is one of the premier annual printing events as companies vie for world-wide recognition. The specific expertise of International Gallery entrant’s leaps time zones and geographic borders. With so many entries competing from around the globe it represents a truly world class roster of international graphic arts and supplier firms. The competition is devoted to the principles honoring excellence in the graphic arts by celebrating craft, applauding art and showcasing science. It is produced by the IAPHC, a trade association with thousands of members around the world.
Momentum Receives Award from Empire State Games
Momentum Advertising & Design, who was selected by the Empire State Games Local Organizing Committee to be the official advertising agency for the 2005 Empire State Games, was honored at the Sponsor Appreciation Event held at the Belvedere Mansion in Rhinebeck this week. Momentum was recognized by Douglas Smith, Senior Vice President of HSBC Bank and Vice Chairman for the Empire State Games. “Everything that you saw at the Games, the ads, the banners, the billboards, were created by Momentum and they looked great,” said Mr. Smith. “We never could have done it without them.” He then presented Momentum President Steve Mayhew with a plaque that recognized Momentum’s efforts.
Momentum, who created the theme “6,000 Extraordinary Athletes…1 Extraordinary Setting,” also designed the gatefold brochure that was presented to each sponsor that evening. The brochure contained samples of all the materials that were created as part of their specific sponsorship. “I thought your Empire State Games packet was beautiful,” commented Jeanine Agnolet, VP Public Relations for Health Quest and Vice Chair Public Relations and Marketing of the Games. “It made me feel really good about everything that I personally was able to do through the entire project.”
Middletown Medical Group has selected Momentum Advertising & Design as its agency of record. Middletown Medical is a multi-specialty physician group providing a wide array of services all under one roof. Their specialties range from Family Medicine and Imaging Services to Pain Management. “We are pleased to be working with such a dynamic group of physicians, said Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum. “Our initial efforts will be focused on the introduction of their new Eating Disorder Center and will include the development of a logo, website, direct mail and supporting media including print and radio.” The Eating Disorder Center will be the first of its kind in Orange County and compliments the opening of their new state-of-the-art Immediate Care Center at their location in Middletown.
Are testimonials from customers an effective way of telling potential customers about my services?
Are testimonials from customers an effective way of telling potential customers about my services?
Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum Advertising & Design, has been asked by the
Poughkeepsie Journal to join their “Ask the Experts” panel as a column writer on marketing and advertising topics. “Ask the Experts” is a weekly column where specialists from various fields of business answer questions from small and medium sized business owners about topics that are relevant to their success. Below you can read the updated column as seen in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Question: Are testimonials from customers an effective way of telling potential customers about my services?
Answer: Consumers have grown tired of listening to organizations thump their own chest proclaiming to have the best product or service in the market. Words like “quality” and “service” are tossed about so frivolously that they’ve lost their meaning.
Using customer testimonials can be a great way to attract new customers because the boasting is being done for you, instead of by you. Consider for a moment how much more powerful it is to read a positive news editorial about a company than to simply see an ad for the company in the newspaper. The editorial appears objective and credible because it was written by a third party with nothing to gain from the comments. An advertisement, on the other hand, is less credible because it is written by the company, for the company, and is self-serving. Testimonials help to bridge the credibility gap.
One of the keys to using testimonials effectively is to provide as much detail as you can. The more specific the testimonial, the more credible it is. A testimonial signed by Jim C. is not nearly as powerful as a testimonial that is signed by Jim Chase, Managing Director – Mega Corporation. Most consumers are skeptics and being specific gives them less to question.
A mistake that many organizations make is to adjust the testimonials to help them sound more polished. Unless the context of the message is such that it would hurt the credibility of the testimonial, it’s best to leave it in the vernacular in which it was written. Testimonials are usually written in a conversational form, similar to the way we speak. When testimonials are altered, they can become too slick sounding or appear contrived. One word of caution however, if the testimonial isn’t utterly convincing, don’t use it. A generic or uninspired testimonial will have little, or a negative, influence on potential customers. (310 words to here)
No place is the use of testimonials more prevalent than in the world of online shopping. Large online retailers such as Amazon and E-bay provide you with an opportunity to review objective customer testimonials/feedback about online stores before making a purchasing decision. Those vendors that have a significant number of positive testimonials/reviews are likely to get your business. That same philosophy applies to testimonials in the real world as well. (370 words to here)
At my own company, Momentum Advertising & Design, we feel so strongly about the power of testimonials, that we updated our website to include a rotating billboard of testimonials on our home page. Each is specific, untouched and includes the name, title and organization of each testimonial. (433 words to here)
Question: What do the terms “reach” and “frequency” mean in evaluating a media buy? And, why are they important?
Answer: Purchasing media effectively is predicated on understanding a number of concepts, two of which are reach and frequency… leaving regular footprints in people’s minds about your product or service. Although there are many factors to consider when purchasing media, this will help simplify the meaning of these specific terms.
"Reach", simply stated, refers to the estimated number of individuals (in your target market) that you will reach with your message. If for example, you own a small exercise club and your target market is women between the ages of 25 and 40, you would want to evaluate each type of media based on its ability to reach that audience.
If after reviewing various mediums, you decided that radio was your best choice, you would then need to evaluate the “reach” of each station in the market. Although one station may be the market leader (reach the most people in your target market), their rates may not cost-justify the additional reach they have over their competition. Selecting the second- or third-rated station may still give you plenty of reach but do so more cost effectively. Another consideration is proximity. If a typical fitness member is only willing to drive 5 miles to a facility, selecting a radio station with greater signal strength (and reach) means you’ll be advertising to people who can’t use your service. These same principles apply to other forms of media.
Frequency, on the other hand, refers to the average number of times a person will hear your advertising message within a given time period. The rule of thumb is that a person needs to be exposed to your message a minimum of three times (over a designated period of time) in order for it to register in their subconscious. The more times they hear your message, the more familiar they become with your brand and the more comfortable they are selecting you versus your competition.
Although media buying is a complicated process with many additional factors to consider, most media planners believe that the combination of reach and frequency plays a huge role in the effectiveness of a media buy. Understanding these two critical terms will help you to make sound media buying decisions.
Question: Is a direct mail campaign a good way for me to promote my small store or would I be better off spending my limited budget buying ads?
Answer: Print advertising and direct mail can both be effective means for promoting your small store with each having its own merits.
The benefit of newsprint is news. Ads that are newsworthy will get attention because news is what is on the readers’ minds. If you’re promoting a special price, unique product or a store-wide sale, print ads are great for drawing attention to your store. However, one of the critical keys to success in print advertising is the quality of the advertisement itself. Your message to the consumer must clearly answer the question “what’s in it for us?” Whenever possible your ad should also have a strong call to action, such as “One Day Only” or “Only 10 Available.” There are specific print publications that focus on coupon- oriented offers which may be another alternative to consider. If the goal is to simply create awareness of your store, print advertising can do that, but it will take much longer to produce results and may not be ideal with a limited budget.
Direct mail is another terrific way to promote your business. One of greatest attributes of direct mail is that it gets you into the home of a potential customer with an opportunity to tell them a story about your products or services. Unlike a print advertisement which provides limited selling space, direct mail allows you to promote yourself in much greater detail. It is also possible to target consumers in close geographic proximity to your store. But like a print ad, the message and design of the piece is critical to its success. Direct mail can require a lot of coordination including design, printing, postage and mailing. That’s why, for many, marriage mail makes a lot of sense. Marriage mail handles the details and combines coupons from many different advertisers, allowing you to share the mailing costs with other small businesses. Consumers who regularly open these packages have a high tendency to use the coupons.
Another alternative is to insert your mail piece in the newspaper and take advantage of both direct mail and the news-reading public.
Testimonials are great way to talk up firm
Question: Are testimonials from customers an effective way of telling potential customers about my services?
Answer: Consumers have grown tired of listening to organizations thump their own chest proclaiming to have the best product or service in the market. Using customer testimonials can be a great way to attract new customers because the boasting is being done for you, instead of by you.
Consider for a moment how much more powerful it is to read a positive news story about a company than to simply see an ad for the company in the newspaper. The story appears objective and credible because it was written by a third party with nothing to gain from the comments.
An advertisement, on the other hand, is less credible because it is written by the company, for the company and is self-serving. Testimonials help to bridge the credibility gap.
One of the keys to using testimonials effectively is to provide as much detail as you can. The more specific the testimonial, the more credible it is. A testimonial signed by Jim C. is not nearly as powerful as a testimonial that is signed by Jim Chance, Managing Director of the Mega Corp.
Keep original style
A mistake that many organizations make is to adjust the testimonials to help them sound more polished. Unless the context of the message is such that it would hurt the credibility of the testimonial, it's best to leave it in the vernacular in which it was written.
Testimonials are usually written in a conversational form, similar to the way we speak. If the testimonial isn't utterly convincing, don't use it.
No place is the use of testimonials more prevalent than in the world of online shopping. Large online retailers such as Amazon and e-Bay provide you with an opportunity to review objective customer testimonials and feedback about online stores before making a purchasing decision.
Those vendors that have a significant number of positive testimonials or reviews are likely to get your business. That same philosophy applies to testimonials in the real world as well.
Our company, for example, feels so strongly about the power of testimonials, that we updated our Web site to include a rotating billboard of testimonials on our home page.
Steve Mayhew is president and founder of Momentum Advertising & Design, a full-service advertising agency based in Hopewell Junction specializing in marketing, creative design and media planning.
Momentum Advertising Hires Media Manager
(E. Fishkill, N.Y. December 1, 2004) Momentum Advertising & Design in Hopewell Junction is pleased to announce the addition of Shannon Yadon as its new media manager. Ms. Yadon is a graduate of Chapman University in Los Angeles where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. Since that time, Ms. Yadon has held marketing positions for Interscope Records as well as Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico. Shannon’s experience also includes KNDD radio in Seattle and KUCD radio in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Ms. Yadon was hired to provide account management support for Momentum’s ever expanding roster of clients and to provide media analysis and buying services. “This year alone, we have purchased media for clients in over a dozen different radio and television markets throughout the country as well as many national magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Seventeen”, said Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum. “The addition of a person with Shannon’s background to the Momentum team will help to insure that our clients always receive the most competitive rates available in the market”, continued Mr. Mayhew. Shannon will also support Momentum’s business development efforts by becoming actively involved in all local chambers of commerce and other civic organizations.
Momentum Advertising & Design Gives Graduates "Real World" Experience through Internship Program
(E. Fishkill, N.Y. March 16, 2005) Momentum Advertising & Design announced that Cynthia Danieli has successfully completed a 6-month internship with the firm. Ms. Danieli, graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and was also a member of the honors program there. She commenced her internship with Momentum immediately after graduation.
“Cynthia is the fifth person to graduate from the Momentum internship program since its inception,” said Steve Mayhew, President of Momentum. “Our goal is to help people gain “real world” experience to supplement the academic training they’ve received. This program provides them with an opportunity to actually create and design pieces that they can include in their portfolio. Cynthia is a perfect case in point.”
“The feedback I got from the other designers there helped me grow as a designer and, by the end of my internship, I actually had a logo and print ad chosen by a client,” said Ms. Danieli.
The internship program gives hopeful graphic designers a well-rounded understanding of the industry. They participate in brain storming sessions for design concepts and even listen in on media buying meetings so they can understand how creative messages are delivered through the various mediums, such as print, radio, TV and direct mail.
Anyone interested in learning more about the internship program can do so by contacting Chris Cavalieri at chris@momentumadvertising.com or by calling Chris Cavalieri at 845-223-3266.
Momentum Producing Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce Membership Directory for Third Year in a Row
Momentum Advertising & Design is proud to have been selected by the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce to create their Annual Membership Directory for the third time in a row. “We are particularly happy to be selected for the 2006 Directory,” stated Renee Bulla, VP Client Services. “The Chamber has a new and vibrant President as well as several new employees in key positions. We are happy that the new administration felt confident that we could capture their new energy in the directory. The Chamber has always been a great resource for us and we are happy to be able to continue to work with them on this project,” continued Ms. Bulla.
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| 2005 Directory Cover | 2006 Directory Cover |