But what if you’re an owner who struggles to keep the business running from month to month? Where do you find time for IPM? Answer: You make the time. Or look for outside help.

If you’re uncomfortable with terms such as websites, micro sites, landing pages, Google Adwords marketing, SEO, SEM, email, e-newsletters, Facebook pages, tweets or posts, it may be time to choose an outside firm to help with your IPM marketing strategy.

How to find a firm for help with IPM.
Step one is to find the right type of agency.
Q. Is that a PR firm? Advertising agency? Interactive agency? Social media firm?
A. Look at the history of the group you are thinking of hiring.

Here are some important questions to consider before choosing a potential IPM resource:

• Do they understand what IPM means?
• Do they have integrated marketing for other clients?
• Do you feel comfortable working with the people?
• Are you a partner or a paycheck to them?
• Do they understand your business and target audience?
• Can they help me break out of the pack?
• Can they make a difference in how my company presents itself to potential new clients?

When you can feel comfortable with the people and confident in their abilities, that’s the right IPM firm for your business.

And, because you’re a special friend, we’ll send you the next issue of The Ant Farm News. http://www.facebook.com/AcrobatAnt

A brand isn’t a name. It isn’t a logo. It isn’t a creative style. It’s not a tagline.

Then, what is it? A brand is the meaning of what resides in the mind of the target audiences…the perception that comes from a complex set of images, emotions, thoughts, history, experiences and expectations.

As brand stewards, we try to own that little piece of the audience’s mind, so we can conjure up the brand’s desired perception with the right stimuli. So, building a brand is a contest of perceptions.

At AcrobatAnt, we build from the ground up, starting with the brand architecture process. We begin with a realistic and accurate assessment of the brand’s perception, and what we want audiences to think or believe about the brand. In that gap between what is and what should be lies an amazing opportunity for us to drive perceptions.

We examine the brand’s core values and attributes (what adjectives best describe the brand), brand segments and influencers—all to steer us to the master brand statement or brand promise (what it means to experience the brand).

It’s not a mission statement. A brand promise summarizes what the brand is and what it stands for. Aspirational, yet attainable. Emotional, yet rational. And built on truth—100% believable. 100% deliverable. Driving every communication. Relentlessly executed.

And then the fun begins. Want to know more?

•    Lower costs
Reduce or eliminate duplication, share development costs, use larger volume to gain negotiation leverage with vendors. 

•    Establish a cohesive marketing strategy and execution
Clear goals and accountability make it easier to report ROI and stick to long-term success strategies.

•    Maximize your company’s brand image and messaging
When everything you say or do is unified and consistent, you have greater control of your PR and media.

•    Enhance quality control
In every facet of business from compliance and legal to production, improving your quality control will increase the quality of promotional and printed materials.

•    Increase the technical expertise and experience of your core team
Best practices are shared from the top down to increase everyone’s knowledge and effectiveness.

One way to make this shift easier is to partner with an agency capable of managing all aspects of your brand(s) and marketing. AcrobatAnt is experienced at monitoring the brand promise and executing marketing effectively. When we’ve literally had a seat at the table with clients, we’ve met their unique needs, helped them with business relationships, understood their issues, and provided key guidance. The result has been long-term partnerships and success.

Below is an example of what our creative director suggests.

$20 puts you in the game. Winner at the end of the season takes home $180, runner-up gets $80, and the worst team gets its $20 back. Along the way, biweekly prizes have been awarded to the team with the greatest and smallest margins of victory.

And, however the season ends, the food & drinks at the draft were great. It doesn’t take a Monday morning quarterback to know that.

Bill Ainsworth            Writer
Dell Chambers          Art director
Audrey Chambers    Account service
Megan Foster           Proofreader
Jinni Giltner              Art director
Donna Keffer            Account service
Erin Lynch                Online account service
Will Skaggs               Art director
David Vavra              Account service

The conference is intended to “raise awareness and the use of social media tools and strategies for restaurant operators and foodservice industry vendors, manufacturers and service providers,” according to its website. In fact, it was all about valuable and current actionable strategies to help the foodservice industry grow through the social web.

We can’t give away all the secrets Cynthia learned, but you might want to watch Facebook and Twitter for new activity. See how the Ants socialize. http://www.acrobatant.us/socialize/