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, N.Y., Marketing Works has doubled its client base in just one year, and are now servicing clients from Manhattan to Montauk. This was not the case a year ago—despite the years of extensive experience that are built upon the foundation of relationships with the media and members of the community, Marketing Works was caught in the economic turbulence. For many firms, there is a gap in the services they are providing. After years in the public relations industry, I realized that organizations are looking for more than just public relations and advertising. Today, they are looking for social media and web exposure combined with traditional public relations services, which is why I partnered with Karin Caro, founder of Blu Chip Marketing. Based out of Bohemia, N.Y., Blu Chip Marketing specializes in social media development, event planning, brand management and recognition, search engine optimization, website development, and more. Through this partnership, we are able to provide a full list of comprehensive services that helps clients stand out amongst competition, while integrating writing experience with the highest technologies to help clients reach their goals. Caro started Blu Chip because with the understanding that social media is a quick and inexpensive way to get your business recognized, and if you're not participating, you're going to be left behind. Many business owners are focused on what they do best—operating their companies. Where organizations hire advertising agencies to create their ads because that's not their expertise, businesses are now realizing that utilizing social media and the web is also a full time job. After partnering both Blu Chip and Marketing Works, we have been able to attract more-and larger-clients. What began with a goal of expanding into Nassau, has landed us in the business and non-profit sectors of Manhattan. Our success shouldn't come as a surprise—our combined experience in both media relations and the world of the web leaves no stone unturned throughout the community. Providing services to a diverse list of clientele, Marketing Works and Blu Chip are engrained in the not-for-profit community, legal sector, entrepreneurial landscape, and have recently helped one of our clients land a spot on the Home Shopping Network. With a team of talented professionals, we hope to continue to see tremendous growth. The key? Providing a diverse, comprehensive, and unique list of services, for prices that Long Island business owners can afford. In the last month, both Marketing Works and Blu Chip helped launch Long Island's largest trade show; promoted a successful fundraising gala; landed a client on HSN; partnered with video developer Jimmy Newsom at JLN Media; all while tweeting, landing clients in the newspaper, re-developing websites, and giving back to the community. Recently, Blu Chip designed a pure silver key pendent in the form of a necklace that can be purchased online, where 100% of the proceeds are donated to Stony Brook Children's Hospital. The future looks bright for Marketing Works and Blu Chip, as we continue to pave the way for both our clients, and the marketing industry as a whole. Together, we work under the mantra that if organizations are looking to incorporate social media into their marketing plan, or PR into their social networking, it's important to partner with professionals who can promise and deliver solid results. While the doors have closed for many, new doors have opened for these two companies. For more information about Marketing Works, log onto www.marketingworkspr.com. For more information about Blu Chip Marketing, log onto www.bluchipmarketing.com. Ron Gold is the president of Marketing Works, East Setauket, N.Y.