Big or small, 1-year or decades old, every business is different, and with that, every business’ budget is too. We understand not every organization is able to put a marketing plan together with all the bells and whistles. The size of your marketing budget might affect the amount of advertising you do, but it doesn’t have to affect business results. Producing high-quality pieces will do more for your brand than stretching your budget as thin as possible. Here are 5 key areas that we think deserve a place in every marketing budget.
1) Planning
Motivational speaker Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it and what you do simply proves what you believe.” Or in marketing terms: planning and strategy. Although it may seem like “Marketing 101,” you might be surprised how few organizations have an actual marketing plan on paper — something that they can always look back on and say, “Are we on track?” Going through the exercise of really digging deep into the core of your mission, figuring out what you believe in, and giving your customers a reason to do the same will always be worth the extra dollars and time spent. This will then drive everything else, from messaging and creative to marketing tactics and media channels. In the end, you’ll be better equipped to create a more accurate budget and be able to measure the success of your marketing efforts.
2) Website
Your website is an opportunity to give prospects a real glimpse into who your brand is, your professionalism, and your expertise. They can be accessed by millions of people at any given time from the palm of their hands, which adds a little bit of pressure. If they see an ad that catches their attention, they might click on it or do a quick search of the company name to learn more, and BAM! They’re on your website, right where you want them. Your website should have a clear flow where people can easily find information, contact you, or make a purchase, content should be optimized for search, and the design itself should speak to your brand.
3) Photography
When people are racking up millions of likes on social media for pictures taken on their iPhones, it can be easy to feel like you can do the same. But the truth is that nothing can replace high-quality photography taken by someone with experience. It can be easy to see a high-cost shoot as unnecessary for a single execution. In reality, high-quality photography has many legs and can be used across social media, your website, digital campaigns, or other printed pieces for years to come. It is worth the investment!
4) Print Production
Consumers can identify the red of Coca-Cola or the yellow of McDonald’s arches from anywhere. Now, imagine if every time you printed something, the blue in your logo wasn’t quite right, or the orange looks more like a red. It prevents you from presenting a strong brand to consumers and takes away from the time, effort, and money you spent crafting the perfect print piece. It’s important to have quality print production that can properly execute the art direction and choose the correct paper for handouts, brochures, and mailers, so that everything you’ve been working on comes together in the end.
5) Digital
Digital advertising using Google Ads and social media not only allow you to reach a larger audience for the money versus most traditional methods, but you can also highly target your messaging. Digital campaigns are easily tracked and measured, giving you valuable insights into who your customer is and what messaging is working. On top of upping your digital game, don’t let Search Engine Optimization (SEO) fall by the wayside. Google ranking systems sort through hundreds of billions of web pages to find the most relevant, useful results. So, making sure the information on your website matches what your prospects might be searching for will help Google rank your website higher in the organic search listings.
Ultimately, the combination of digital advertising and SEO will work together to drive prospects to your website and drive results.
When it’s all said and done, there are many moving parts that go into a marketing campaign. We understand that not everyone has the budget to create a robust marketing plan and it can be difficult to decide which areas to cut back on. These five are some that all budgets should make room for. Is there anything that you would add?
BURTON: A GENUINE BRAND BUILT OUT OF PASSION
In honor of Jake Burton Carpenter, 1954 - 2019
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Today, snowboarding is a mainstream pastime—a long way from the sport’s humble, Snurfer beginnings in 1965 when Sherm Poppens jury-rigged two skis together so his daughters could surf down the snowy sand dunes behind their cottage in Muskegon, Michigan.
It was a few years later in the winter of 1968 when a 14-year old boy from New York bought a Snurfer for $10. He had recently been expelled from boarding school and was disappointed he didn’t receive the surfboard he begged to get for Christmas. That boy’s name was Jake Burton Carpenter. The thrill of Snurfing, combined with the sport’s seemingly underground characteristics, attracted a young Carpenter’s rebellious nature and he spent hours at the nearby sledding hills on Long Island. He was hooked.
BORN OUT OF ORIGINALITY AND DETERMINATION
Ten years later, after walking away from an investment banking job in Manhattan and with a small amount of money he had inherited after his mother’s death, Carpenter moved to Londonderry, VT. He was committed to making Snurfing a full-fledged sport. By night, Carpenter worked as a bartender at a local restaurant. By day, tinkered away with various woods, plastics, and other materials; sawing and gluing makeshift snowboard prototypes that he’d then test on the slope behind his house.
In 1977, Carpenter began selling his first models out of his station wagon and Burton Snowboards was born—named in honor of his grandmother, whose surname was Burton.
THE BUILDING OF A BRAND
Ski-resorts weren’t exactly thrilled with the rising interest in this new, seemingly renegade sport. It became characteristic of young rebellious kids flying down slopes, rutting-up the ski runs, void of any and all civility. Soon, ski resorts started banning snowboarders. Little did Carpenter know at the time, this “outcast” image would fuel a movement that would then propel snowboarding into the mainstream.
Carpenter started lobbying to ski resorts, giving away snowboards to ski instructors, and sponsoring local snowboarding competitions on designated ski runs—he had to sell the sport before ever selling the brand. The first Burton ads didn’t even mention the Burton name.
Through the early 80’s, sales slowly but surely inched their way up. In 1984, they reached $1 million and the sport had made its way to the West coast. As Burton grew, it was Jake’s commitment to quality and ingenuity—combining metal edges and other ski technology with his board designs—that set Burton apart from the competition and gave the brand the reputation as the best in the industry. An image that remains to this day.
GENUINE AND REAL
Despite Burton’s incredible growth and size, it remains a privately held company and Carpenter always tried to stay close to his small-company roots. As a certified “B” corporation, it would seem they’re also a steward of the very mountains they hold so close to their hearts.
The small-company qualities and personality of the brand can still be felt at Burton’s headquarters. For example, if snow powders to 24 inches, the plant declares a “snow day.” The company still hires primarily snowboard participants and even buys each employee a season lift ticket to a local resort. Dress is of course, very informal. Jake had no desk in his office; only couches, coffee tables, and the many products he was inspecting and testing.
In essence, Burton is the definition of an authentic brand—it was born out of a genuine passion and the brand has stayed true to their roots to this day. Jake Burton Carpenter did not just create a brand with groundbreaking products. He created a movement— dedicating his life to supporting snowboarding and making it into a world-class sport.
1. Sandomir, R. 2019. “Sherm Poppen, a Dad Who Fathered the Snowboard”. The New York Times. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/sports/sherm-poppen-dead.html
2. Carpenter, J. 2019. “Remembering Jake Burton”. The Burton Blog. URL: https://www.burton.com/blogs/the-burton-blog/remembering-jake-burton-carpenter/
3. Heine, R. 2006. “Burton snowboards: Origins and spectacular growth”. Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics.
4. Langer, E. 2019. “Jake Burton Carpenter, who outfitted snowboarders and championed their sport, dies at 65”. The Washington Post. URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/jake-burton-carpenter-who-outfitted-snowboarders-and-championed-their-sport-dies-at-65/2019/11/21/461f3544-0c79-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
5. Marquardt, K. 2008. “Burton Snowboards is King of the Hill”. U.S. News & World Report. URL: https://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/09/19/burton-snowboards-is-king-of-the-hill