GCI Media, Inc. is a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm specializing in strategic and tactical consulting, branding, graphic design, Web development and video production. The company services clients from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies in diverse industries across the globe. GCI Media is headquartered at 1628 North Federal Highway, suite 200, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 33305, and can be reached at 954-414-4100, or on the web at www.gcimedia.us. GCI Media Sets Sights on Website Awards With visions of future acclaim in mind, GCI Media, Inc., a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, FL has rolled out a visually striking and intellectually daring Website. Breaking from tradition, the company has combined a unique visual schema with brilliant photography and evocative copy. The new Website positions the company to compete for the Interactive Media Awards, the Pixel Awards and the Website Design Awards. “We think the new Website displays a synergistic approach to the creation of Internet portals, merging all of the current models of Web design,” said Josh Glasser, a partner in the company. “We embody the concept of ‘Fluid Thinking’ in both our business model and the new site.” GCI attributes its rapid growth to its unusual mix of both seasoned and young, avant-garde professionals, including a senior staff with over 50 years of experience. “We work in an exciting environment, and our energy matches the constantly changing business community,” added Glasser. The new “Fluid Thinking” Website is only the first stage in GCI’s integration of divergent technologies, according to Glasser. The company is scheduled to launch stage two later this year, and promises to unveil even more ground-breaking technology. The new Website can be viewed at www.gcimedia.us. Think Results – Consult to Success We live in a world that is changing at a rapid pace. This change brings opportunity as well as adversity for many companies. For organizations that are conceptual leaders and agents of change, the evolution is welcome. Conversely, to organizations immersed in old paradigms, change can be a formidable obstacle to continued success. Even some well-established companies are now struggling with competition, and lack the innovative ideas necessary to keep them at the forefront of their industries. The U.S automotive sector is a prime example of such an industry struggling to survive because of rigid adherence to tired practices and concepts.. How can organizations consumed with survival reinvent themselves to ensure their continued success? What can a company do in this fluid environment to increase revenues and garner a greater market-share? These questions plague many businesses, and sadly, many fail to find the answers before they succumb to competitors eager to steal both their clients and their profits.. The solution to survival can often be simple, yet many organizations fail to seek help while successful adaptation is still viable. The answer resides in the hiring of a firm that has intellectual knowledge and expertise in strategic and tactical marketing. In our world of complexity and sophistication, specialists are virtually a requirement for many facets of life. Whether it is medicine, law or industry, almost all disciplines now utilize specialists. Strategic and tactical marketing agencies play the same critical role for businesses, and savvy, thoughtful leaders have recognized the need to add unique expertise and fresh ideas to their firms. For organizations that do not have their own marketing departments, the utilization of an outside agency becomes an imperative. Frequently, the costs associated with outside firms is far less than perceived, and the results significantly overshadow the expense. Think Vision – Create Strategic Plans Preparation is the first step in achieving great results. Throughout recorded history, great warriors used strategic planning to overwhelm larger enemies. Fast forward thousands of years, and we still utilize the same processes. One of the greatest strengths of the U.S. military is not its size, but its strategic planning capabilities. The Pentagon is probably the most advanced and sophisticated strategic planning organization in the world. Successful business organizations share this philosophy. Those that take strategic planning seriously understand the importance of developing tactical plans that fulfill those strategic initiatives. The ultimate goal of a well-executed tactical plan is to drive revenues and increase market-share. Think Execution – Develop Tactical Initiatives A good strategic marketing plan consists of five elements and answers five critical questions: Who, What, Why, When and How? The “How” is the element that forms the basis of developing any tactical plan. The four “W’s” ask and answer the questions and determine the approach, while the “How” ultimately produces the “executable. Tactical initiatives are the embodiment of how the individual components of a plan work together to drive results. It is the equivalent of a builder working from an architect’s blueprint to build a house. The tactical component is the methodical execution of the plan, and can be readily measured by the results achieved. Tactical initiatives may include the development of tangibles, intangibles or combinations of both, to fulfill the mission. Tangible initiatives may include corporate identity, photography, video production, print media, copywriting, press releases and branding. Intangible initiatives consist of electronic media such as website design, public relations campaigns, media releases, advertising campaigns and the company’s interpretations of public and internal events affecting their image and reputation. Think Creative – Become Unique The most unique aspect of any organization is how the public or private sector views them. The genesis of this image is in the creative process. When one hears of such familiar icons such as Nike, Coke or Ford, we immediately picture the logo of that company in our mind’s eye. This automatic recognition comes from successful branding, a critical step in that creative process. The creative process is the foundation of a company’s image, and serves as the launching pad for all future collateral materials, both tangible and intangible. Large companies such as Nike and Coke understand the importance of creative materials, and invest in them accordingly. The Superbowl is one of the best examples of this: firms spend millions of dollars just to create an award winning television commercial. Frequently, this cost far exceeds the extravagant fees for the actual network airtime. While few businesses can afford this kind of investment, the principle of creating powerful, unique branding is just as critical for companies of every size. Virtually every business should strive to develop materials that have a high “stickiness” factor, materials that leave a lasting impression in the minds of the viewing public. GCI Media understands the importance of developing strong collateral materials. We work closely with our clients to ensure that all aspects of the branding process reflect the best image possible. The quality of our work emulates Madison Avenue; the fees for our services do not. Think Image – The Power of Photography Why are visual images so important to humans? Why do we like visually pleasing compositions? Why is television such a powerful medium? Many people are surprised to learn that the human brain thinks in pictures rather than words. While we may communicate using the syntax and grammar of language, we actually convert that language to visual images or pictures. Quality photography is the cornerstone of powerful creative material. In today’s competitive environment, people find themselves facing an overload of information. As a result, promotional materials have minimal chance of being reviewed unless that material makes a dramatic and eye-catching first impression. The old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is not just a cliché, it is a truism. What do you want your pictures to say? Make sure they get noticed, not just displayed. Make sure they convey the message you intend. Creative, visually striking photography is an investment in your business’ image. Think Vivid – The Power of Print In spite of the rapid growth of the Internet and hundreds of available television channels, print material probably remains the most common marketing medium today. Even just a few years ago, it was widely believed that the commercialization of the Internet and email would all but replace slower and more expensive “snail mail” and print advertising campaigns. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The United States Post Office has reported sharp increases in the quantity of the mail it distributes, measured from the period in which the Internet emerged. What could be driving the increase in postal mailings? One reason is that conventional mail is highly visible and has a significantly greater chance of being seen and actually read than does other media. The postal system offers targeted, demographic marketing; for the most part, the Internet does not. So why would the rise in popularity of the Internet affect postal mailings? While the Internet is being seen as a new medium in which to advertise, it is also being viewed by consumers as the largest junk mail portal. Many companies have abandoned their email strategies in favor of postal mailings for this very reason. This is the driving factor behind the resurgence of conventional mailings. This brings us back to our original discussion of print material. The Internet serves as a great tool for online information, as well as an opt-in service for those interested in potential goods and services. However, strong, printed collateral is still the most important weapon for most companies to maintain and develop in their marketing arsenal. Think Innovation – The Power of Video Traditionally, the only method of displaying video messages to the general public was through the use of television. Broadcast video had technological thresholds that have made the Internet unfeasible as a delivery vehicle. However, that has all changed. The introduction of “broadband” or high-speed Internet has revolutionized the relationship between video production and the end-user. The convergence of technologies and media is enabling websites to stream compelling video messages to consumers using computers, cellular phones, PDA’s and MP3 players. This advancement in technology marks a significant event for small and medium sized businesses. Finally, these businesses can afford to put video on their websites at a mere fraction of the cost of producing and airing a television commercial. Just as significant, it also enables businesses to target their audiences rather than using the shotgun approach of traditional media. Think Interactive – The Power of the Web Prior to the emergence of the Internet, it was impossible for marketing to occur on a continual basis. Newspaper advertising, one of the mainstays of marketing, has always been static. Television offers a more dynamic and interactive vehicle to reach an audience, though it does not reach its target group unless that demographic is viewing at the time the ad appears. In contrast, the Internet is always on, always available and always targeted to its audience. The public is now ultimately accessible, and a professional, exciting website is a business necessity. A professional website is intended to represent a company’s image, strengths, market position and service offerings. The design theme of the website should employ clean lines, a crisp look, ample white space and rich and meaningful content. The site should be developed with an easy-to-use navigation system, be intuitive and easily scanned by the search engines of Google and its competitors. Think Target – The Power of Marketing One of the most significant shortcomings of general advertising is its inability to target specific demographic audiences. While some products or services benefit from a general advertising campaign, most do not. An advertising campaign that uses a shotgun approach often consumes valuable resources and is relatively ineffective. A well researched marketing campaign specifically uncovers the target market that a company needs to address. When firms use pin-point marketing, their resources are directed where they will be most effective and produce the greatest return on investment. A well researched, targeted campaign takes into consideration all media and delivery methodologies, and employs a best practices approach to discover the most effective and productive techniques of current industry leaders. It also employs precise measurement tools to provide vital feedback to evaluate the success of various media with the target audiences. The utilization of measurement tools is crucial in optimizing resources and marketing effectiveness. Think Awareness – The Power of Advertising When we think of advertising, we think of television, the Internet, newspapers, magazines or even radio. However, there are other, less recognized media . . . such as door hangers and newsletters . . . that may be more effective for an individual business. These alternatives can be far less expensive than the better known forms of advertising. Whatever vehicle a business chooses, advertising serves two important functions. While the first function is to directly drive consumers to do business with the advertiser, it also serves to create the critical quality of consumer awareness. Advertising does not always succeed in driving consumers, but it usually succeeds in creating a business identity. This “branding” or “stickiness” in the mind of the consumer can become the catalyst that eventually produces a profitable business relationship. This awareness helps a company establish a presence and level of credibility that serves as the foundation of the success of the organization. Think Spin – The Power of Public Relations Public relations might be the most misunderstood area of marketing communications. In part, this may be attributed to the intangible nature of the public relations process. PR can be broken down into two distinct areas: spin and media relations. Spin serves to position a company, organization or person in a certain light. An example of spin would be Dow Chemical’s attempt to soften the impact of the tragic incident in Bhopal, India. The company put all of its PR resources to work on this single event. However, not all spin is to used to overcome negative occurrences: positive spin is a powerful tool as well. Politicians and large corporations frequently use positive spin to manipulate their public perceptions. The second function of PR is media relations. This can be an effective tool for getting a company free exposure and advertising. Trade magazines, newspapers and other media can be very effective agents in obtaining valuable exposure without incurring additional expenditures. Fluid Thinking An axiom of business is that the development and success of your marketing campaign is critical to the financial health of your company. During these rapidly changing times, that maxim has never seemed more apropos. Yesterday’s strategies and techniques are often inadequate in today’s fluid environment. GCI Media understands the crucial need for fluid thinking in today’s turbulent and complex global marketplace. Each GCI Media professional takes pride in keeping abreast of technological changes and marketing paradigm shifts. We feel confident that our clients will continue to benefit from our rich and diverse experience and our dedication to the welfare of every company we serve. We look forward to working with your organization and helping it meet the challenges of this new and fluid world.