New Season, New Look

In honor of our favorite season, we are springing forward with a new logo. This new look dones a natural color palette, and organic feel, which parallels our strategic and creative process. Our marketing process is flexible and natural, which helps us develop unique marketing tactics for our clients that fit together into a unified, organic whole.

Let us know what you think...

News from the KAI Team

Committed to its mission of pursuing excellence, thinking bigger, reaching father and being more, KAI has great news to share:

New public relations intern Laura Allen is a graduating senior, English major from Spelman College. A native of New York, Laura is interested in a full-time career in public relations.

New project manager Art Bower has extensive experience in marketing communications, strategic planning and marketing program integration. He has led account service departments at multi-national advertising agencies, served as president of the American Advertising Federation-Houston, and been a media spokesperson.

Our president Kimberlee Scott has been selected to join a team focused on a new initiative with Grady Health System that will work to increase the awareness of eight neighborhood health centers in the community. Kimberlee will use her skills in needs assessment, public relations and community outreach to help reach specific measurable goals of the 1-year+ grant-funded initiative.

Let us know what's new with you...

The Personal Touch

Here at KAI, we believe that the personal touch is one of the most important factors in strategic marketing. We encourage our clients to develop genuine relationships with their customers. This month, we want to focus on relationship wellness and explore ways that you can maintain healthy relationships with your clients, business partners and target audiences in ways that will make you noticeable and favorable.

Personal gestures do not have to be elaborate and extraordinary feats. In fact, the simplest ideas are usually the most effective and genuine ways to improve relationships with those who interact with your business. For example, periodic phone calls and face to face visits will surely stand out in this technology-driven era. E-mail is certainly a wonderful tool to use but never underestimate the power of your voice and your presence.

Another great way to maintain healthy relationships is to consider your clients, business partners and target audiences around holiday seasons. Though it is tempting to only consider this option during the fourth quarter with your annual holiday campaigns, you will certainly make a lasting impression if you consider other holidays like Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Also, sending a card or a small gift to one of your business partners on their business anniversary will certainly improve rapport.

Do some research on national and personal holidays and observances that relate to your clients and target audience, and build ideas from there. When others know that you have their business in mind, they will certainly keep yours in mind. This can only lead to a prosperous and healthy business relationship!

Just Say "NO"!

As January draws to a close, most businesses have begun diving into their strategic marketing plan. While these new plans can bring much excitement and motivation to move quickly, it is important to consider your approach carefully. A big part of keeping yourself and your businesses healthy, is knowing when to say “no” to requests and projects that you know you will not be able to handle.

Saying “no” can certainly be a difficult task, especially when we truly desire to do the task. However, proper assessment of your company’s resources and the task being asked of you will make you more confident about your decision if you have to say no. Here are a few strategic tips to ensure the process goes smoothly:

1.) Think of what you can do first. Although you may not able to take on the full project, there may be a smaller set of tasks that you can assist with.

2.) Be firm. Whether you have to say no to all or some of the project, stand solid on your answer. Let your clients know that you have thoroughly considered all of your company's time and resources, but you will not be able to committ at this time.

3.) Direct clients toward additional resources to help them accomplish their goals. This will help continue to position you as their problem solver.

4.) Follow up. Make a note to check on their progress within a few weeks. Reiterate that you care about their success and that they can still depend on you.

Let's face it, no one wants to send business away, but sometimes it could actually be better for your bottom line. And, while it may be a temporary inconvenience for your clients, in the end they will appreciate your honesty and desire to see them succeed. They should not hesitate to request your services the next time.

New Ideas for the New Year

With 2010 less than two weeks away, many companies are shifting their focus to plans on how they can be bigger and better for the next year. This may involve the introduction of new ideas, new products, new services and most importantly, new brands. During all of the exciting planning sessions filled with innovative ideas that you have probably had in mind for awhile, don’t forget to inform your customers and target audience of your changes.

Imagine getting ready to order your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant only to find that it is not there anymore. Or even worse, if you were to walk into your favorite store and everything has been rearranged. You would probably feel frustrated and a little out of the loop. Basically, people are not excited over changes unless they are informed about the change and how it benefits them. This idea certainly carries over into the business world. The reputation that your company has with the public should be one of the most treasured relationships of your business. Informing them of company changes is essential to your marketing strategy. If implemented correctly, your customers and target audience will feel that they are of great value to your company, which they should be.

If changes are ongoing, be sure to update them on progress through newsletters and blogs. If there is a major change, press releases are great ways to communicate the details and show how the changes will benefit customers just as much as they benefit the business. Often times, companies may choose to remove a product or service to make room for improvements. Make sure that that customers are aware of this removal while simultaneously informing them about how great the new products and services may benefit them.

Before you begin to inform customers about changes, make sure you have done some reflecting and solid assessing of the past year. Business strategist, Rick Meekins offers four great suggestions on how to approach the New Year:

1. Start with thinking about what you are thankful for.
2. Look at what you planned to accomplish last year versus what happened last year. This will help you to be able to make a good assessment.
3. Use the results as a baseline to start planning. Spend the next month or so collecting and writing down thoughts and ideas for the next year such as; where you’d like to speak, who you'd like to meet, new services or partnerships, etc.
4. Next, do a business assessment. This will include a SWOT analysis, a competitive analysis and a gap analysis. You need to know where your business sits and what changes or additions you must make.

Adhering to these suggestions will help you gain the confidence and motivation you need to discuss your new plans with business partners and customers alike. To read more on Rick Meekin’s New Year suggestions, be sure to visit his blog at:

http://www.aepiphanni.com/Stroke_of_Brilliance/Stroke_of_Brilliance_1109.aspx

So as you enter the New Year, be sure to spend the right amount of time on yourself, your business, and continue keep your customers informed. After all they are the ones that help to drive your business and your brand!

Give your small business a gift for the new year!

Purchase a marketing service package from our new KAI Express Menu for Small Businesses, starting as low as $225, for a limited time only.

Call us today to schedule your Discovery Session, and click here to see your menu choices!

It's Time to Deck the Halls

Well, it is still the beginning of Fall, and stores are already putting out Christmas decorations. Yes, it's hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. And, if you haven't already started planning your holiday marketing campaign, now is the time.


But, before you run out and deck the halls with marketing messages remember: holiday campaigns must be integrated with your overall marketing strategy. They must have clear goals, objectives, target audience, and must stay consistent with your overall brand promise. A focused plan can help your company generate sales, increase awareness about your product/service, and show appreciation to your existing customers, employees and partners.


If your campaign will rely on heavy email-marketing, the right time to start will depend on what product or service you are offering, to whom, and when they are likely to buy it. Restaurants may want to begin now in promoting holiday parties and gift cards, while last-minute gift retailers should wait until the beginning of December. Internet marketing expert Paula Skaper encourages that your email campaigns allow enough time for readers to receive the promotion, respond and receive delivery of their products/serivces on time for Christmas (click here for full article).

In her article 10 Tips for Designing Your Holiday Email Campaign, Karen Scharf further suggests to segment your merchandise and mailing lists to make shopping easier, such as Gifts for Men, Gifts for Children, etc. Or if you are a service-based company, segment by market--Specials for Retailers, Specials for B2B Companies. "There is so much competition for the in basket at this time of year, don't waste your customers' time with promotions that are irrelevant to their shopping habits."

Because I'm big on the personal touch, consider investing in a small postage budget and mail a gift card or coupon to selected loyal clients and customers. It's a good way to say "thank you" and generate business.

Bottom line: start planning now for happy holidays. Waiting until Thanksgiving will be a little late and will have you and your team scrambling at the last minute--and there is nothing happy about that.

Click here for more holiday marketing tips.