How Marketing Works continues to redefine value for both the firm and their clients

In a turbulent economy, many organizations find themselves cutting back on the one thing they should be focusing more on: marketing. While many marketing and public relations entrepreneurs have been forced to close their doors, some organizations such as Marketing Works PR are thriving. Based out of Setauket, Marketing Works has doubled its client base in just one year, and are now servicing clients from Manhattan to Montauk. What spawned from my home-office has now expanded into a full service firm with a full service team. Combined, the team has over 50+ years of experience, including website development; graphic design; public relations campaigns; newsletter design and development; and marketing strategy. With each writer focused on different clients and industries, I have been able to attract a variety of clients of all sizes. What differentiates Marketing Works from other marketing and PR firms? The focus on value: value for my clients and value for my staff. Where many firms focus on billing and meeting their own bottom line, I am able to be involved in every aspect of the projects I work on—with all of my clients. When an organization hires Marketing Works, their needs aren't getting passed down to an intern or a staff member - I'm involved in every aspect of the engagement from beginning to end. Every client is assigned an individual to help manage their account - there is always continuity of staff which helps to create the partnership between my firm and my clients. We act and respond more like partners of the companies that hire us rather than their marketing firm. Unlike the larger firms where writers and designers come and go, the value of working with a smaller firm is that nothing is lost in transition - no hidden billings, no unplanned fees. In today's marketplace, organizations are looking at their expenses and needs closer than ever before - and companies like Marketing Works have been able to successfully compete against large tier agencies because they can handle large accounts for a fraction of the cost. In addition, many agencies thrive off of billing for projects that have large (and often one-time) fees for projects that revolve around advertising, promotional product and direct sales. Our firm's specialty is public relations: which is the most cost-effective and high-return component to marketing. Sales-driven marketing requires hours of training, cold-calling, and labor - and can be hard to measure return on investment. Advertising is by far the most well-known and most expensive component of marketing. Not only can placement (whether for ads, online, television, radio, etc.) can be expensive, for any campaign to be effective, the ad has to run several times, leaving budgets quickly depleted. On average, it takes five to seven times for someone to even remember what they saw, nevertheless go out and purchase a product or hire a service provider. For those seeking high return on investment, measurable outcomes, and are not looking to empty their pockets, public relations is the most cost effective and vested way to meet your bottom line. Our firm is able to thrive because our specialty is not billing per hour for labor or spending the budget on advertisement slots - our specialty is relationship building - building relationships with our clients, and most of all, building relationships between our clients and their target audience. Creating synergies between my clients and their constituents, their target base, and the media allows them to truly build awareness, trust, and stay in the minds of those they are targeting. Implementing the strategic partnership between myself and my clients has allowed our client base to grow. We've grown from taking on one-time projects and small businesses to long term campaigns for clients that have attracted global news. We look forward to continue to bring value to our clients as we help them grow and expand. For more information or updates on the successes of both Marketing Works and their clients, log onto www.marketingworkspr.com. Ron Gold is the president of Marketing Works, East Setauket, N.Y.