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Marketing a Merchandise Marts Business

There is little room for error in marketing a merchandise marts business in today's economy. Fortunately, we have the information you need to stay ahead of the curve and outperform the rest of the field.

We see marketing as the great equalizer, a business discipline capable of dramatically increasing a small company's footprint in the marketplace.

Marketing increases the brand footprint of a merchandise marts business using a carefully crafted mix of techniques and tactics.

Directories

Directories are a common tool for finding a merchandise marts business. When all of your competitors are listed in a directory, you have no choice in the matter. To keep pace, competitive businesses must include the same directories in their plans for marketing merchandise marts businesses to market segments. Although there are plenty of free directory opportunities out there, some directories charge a fee to include your business in their listing. Regardless of whether it is a premium or free listing opportunity, every directory needs to be evaluated on its own merits. Some directories may also let you list more than your name and contact information, so be sure to ask whether your listing can include a logo and other information about your business.

Media Monitoring

Many marketing techniques are easy to evaluate. Direct mail can be evaluated by tallying the cost of inputs (e.g. a premium mailing list, printing, postage, etc.) and measuring the number of customer responses you receive from the campaign. The difficulty comes when you are tasked with quantifying market presence and brand influence. To gauge brand reputation and presence, many merchandise marts businesses turn to media monitoring. Even more importantly, media monitoring can alert you to negative commentary early, giving you the opportunity to counter negative mentions with more accurate and more positive messaging.

Why Branding Matters

A good brand has value for both your balance sheet and earnings statement. It's a fact: A merchandise marts business has brand characteristics. Consumers can view your brand either positively or negatively, but either way they have an impression about your business identity. Companies that incorporate brand positioning into their normal marketing routines gradually accumulate higher brand values and are rewarded by consumers.

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