BDC Highlights: Okuma Campaign

BDC Advertising created value for the Okuma Fishing Tackle Corporation through online display advertising, public relations, print advertising and promotions designed to help their brand stand out in a sea of competition.  We identified a number of opportunities for the brand, especially in the saltwater fisheries of Florida and California, where their redesigned reels are gaining traction with the angling community.  We were able to recommend select markets for the company to concentrate on to maximize sales, while taking advantage of existing product lines. Through direct interaction with the devout fishing community online, BDC Advertising strengthened the brand image and supported brand advocates with product promotions and awareness campaigns.

Your organization deserves the attention and experience BDC brings to every client relationship.  Contact us to discuss your goals for a comprehensive marketing campaign that delivers on every front.

BDC Fishing Excursion is On!

Weston the Dog, Social Media Guru

The 80/20 Rule

With Facebook at 500 million subscribers and growing and e-blasts and e-newsletters as mainstream marketing tools, it’s increasingly easy for businesses to be romanced by the allure these tools provide in sending sales messages to broad social networks.  It comes up so frequently in our client discussions that it’s worth putting online and sharing the BDC Advertising perspective of how to properly balance and craft sales messages and informational messages in your online and/or social networking campaigns.

Think…”sales messages are an earned privilege.”  That is, you have to earn the privilege to send them to your database or through the various social networks you may be a part of.  Specifically, we use the 80/20 rule.  80% of our web-based messages are informational or educational messages and 20% are sales.

These networks will recieve your sales messages if you’ve provided useful information that creates the proper environment and relationship to send sales messages.  As Alex Brauer, President of BDC Advertising, says,”It’s all about building and growing communities. The goal is to build membership and expand your networks as quickly and broadly as you can.  In doing so, the goal is to deliver information they look forward to receiving.  That may be a favorite recipe, destination, how to improve your mileage, rigging for salmon, upcoming event, notable date or any one of a million different messages…it’s endless.  The key is they need to be useful, fun, entertaining, easy-to-read and relevant.  You’ll grow your community quickly if you stay this course.”

“Sales messages will be allowed, or more appropriately, tolerated, if they’re kept to a minimum.  Understand that these messages will likely have negligible impact.  Unless the offer is so incredible that they’d be crazy not to participate, expect yields of less than 5% and in most cases less than 1%. That means if you send out 6,000 e-blasts with a sales message expect a return in the order of 60 or fewer people to respond.”

“I see the sales message taking a different form”, observed BDC Vice President, Trey Carskadon, “When you’re talking about new products, changes in personnel, upcoming opportunities or emerging trends you’re sending a sales message, albeit a very soft sales message but a sales message nonetheless. You’re leading the market to the watering trough…it’s their decision whether or not they’re going to drink from it.”

Carskadon continued, “With this approach comes some important opportunities, savy companies will become more disciplined in their messaging and create messaging campaigns designed to systematically create anticipation of upcoming events, opportunities, seasons that will ultimately drive sales.  In marketing to the agricultural community for instance you’ll want to start crafting your messages in spring and summer with a goal of sending your strongest sales message after the harvest when farmers have been paid for their crops.  It’s what we do in Alaska to target dividend check expenditures that occur in the Fall with everything from snow machines and boats to vacation offers.  All the information leading up to that point are messages and information that build a case for the products or services your selling. No doubt about it, it’s a much more methodical, measured and patient approach but it’s a winning approach and one you can add to everything else you’re doing to get the word out about your business.”

“We all agree, it’s editorial, informational, educational content that wins the day in these social networks and e-newsletter approaches. The 80/20 rule is a great guideline and in some cases it may skew 90/10 or 95/5.  The bottom line is that sending out an endless string of sales messages and specials is the surest way to kill the growth of the online communities you may be trying to build. ”

Study Confirms Value Of Print Advertising

A recent study by Southwick & Associates, a leading market research firm from Florida, indicates that among hunters and anglers, magazine/print publications are still their primary media choice for information.  44%  of the hunters and 33% of anglers surveyed placed print media as their primary media source.

25% of anglers selected the Internet as their primary source of information, while 15% of hunters watch hunting-related TV shows as their primary source of media.

Beyond the fishing and hunting categories there are pockets of growth within the print media.  Large city newspapers continue to struggle as the media market becomes increasingly fragmented between cable TV and the Internet.  Subscription numbers continue to plummet nationwide.  However, smaller community and small city newspapers seem to be holding their own.

In fact, even in depressed areas like Bend, Oregon which has suffered through an unprecedented decline in home sales and real estate values, the Bend Bulletin, the city newspaper, is thriving.  This uptick is being played out across the nation as neither cable or Internet sources have yet to unlock the small city, small town news gathering effort.

BDC Advertising Vice President, Trey Carskadon commented, “Over the past 3 years we’ve been watching this trend closely.  We don’t have a dog in this fight other than to stay abreast of the advertising and information trends that are going to best serve our customers.  The consensus in our office is that the market wants timely, reliable, trusted information.  If they can get it more conveniently or faster through Internet or TV they’ll gravitate in that direction otherwise they’ll wait until the newspaper comes out.  This trend gives small community newspapers a decided advantage over other media.  As news budgets dry up it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for these organizations to have a presence in smaller markets.  More broadly, we believe this signals opportunities within the media and print, especially in specific markets that depend on accurate information, to provide deep, insightful and useful information not found in either TV or Internet resources.  Print still offers the most meaningful opportunity for deciminating the greatest depth of information on a single topic, to specific, targeted audiences.  The Internet has become it’s own worst enemy as viewers have to wade through reams of hyperbole, inaccuracies and conjecture.  It’s wild-west approach to information has marginalized its efficacy as a primary informaton resource on topics that demand clarity, fact and accuracy. The Southwick study confirms what we already believed through our own experience.  Print is still valuable media and a strong Internet presence is equally as essential…it’s all about balance and not putting too many eggs into any one marketing basket.”

BDC’s Dutch Bros. shrine

What is the fuel that keeps the web development fire burning here at BDC? A caffeinated concoction called the Big Hot Kicker, crafted ever so delicately by our neighborhood Dutch Bros. baristas. As a token of our appreciation, we have spent countless hours designing a pyramid-like shrine in the 4th dynasty Egyptian style. We hope this is an appropriate monument to the hard work our friends at the local watering hole. We have had a few calls from Las Vegas executives about the “conspicuous similarities” to the Luxor Hotel & Casino, but we think what we have here is unique. Keep doing what you do, Dutch Bros. and we will continue to create the most innovative and interactive websites for our clients.

Teach a Man to Fish

Kevin Saelee is no ordinary web developer, he is a master of complex code and possesses an almost primal instinct many across the world can relate to; the instinct to find and catch the largest fish. A Northen California native, Kevin felt at home knee-deep in the aqua waters of Lake Shasta, where he fished regularly with his friends and family. Growing up, Kevin was comfortable catching bass, the occasional trout, and enjoying the California sun.

When it was time to go off to college, Kevin decided to attend the Art Institute of Portland where he majored in web design and interactive media. He soon found himself downtown Portland, a city-dweller with no transportation to experience the joys of hooking into a big fish.

“I used to love fishing. I missed the whole experience,” said Saelee.

But Kevin’s fortunes were soon to take a dramatic turn. He accepted a position as a web developer at BDC advertising, a world-class agency based in Oregon City, OR. where he would be influenced by many avid fishermen at BDC who share Kevin’s passion for landing the big one. Among the seasoned fishermen here is BDC Advertising President Alex Brauer who recommended a few fishing locations.

“I started working on different fishing websites and looking at Alex’s fishing trophies and started remembering the fun of it all,” said Saelee.

Saelee recalled talking with Trey Carskadon, Vice President of BDC about his fishing experience as well, which includes numerous trips to treacherous buoy 10 on the Columbia river and television and radio hosting of popular outdoor-related programs where he shared his fishing knowledge. Kevin’s return to fishing was all but imminent, but first he would need to learn the techniques and locations for fishing is in the Pacific Northwest, not a small feat.

“Trey had all the specifics, what lures to use, which rods, and the specific techniques,” Saelee said.

Kevin’s quest to find the best fishing in Oregon will undoubtedly continue… probably for the rest of his life.

One thing is certain, the team here at BDC will continue to help Kevin in his fishing exploits and as he continues to produce exceptional web sites and applications for BDC clients, it won’t be long before he gets the invite to jump on board the BDC company boat for a real fishing experience.

The day will soon come when the trophies will find a new home on the wall above Kevin’ desk. When Kevin lands his first big fish, we’ll be there to congratulate him while remembering everything good about sharing wholesome outdoor experiences with friends, family and coworkers that make us all feel proud.

2010 N.W. Ag Show A Hit!

In what has proved to be a difficult market for trade shows, the N.W. Ag Show continues to perservere and buck national and regional trends. This year’s show, just ended January 28th, posted gains in attendance and strong exhibitor sales.

BDC Advertising, Inc. has been the agency of record for the show for the past 5 years and in cooperation with the N.W. Ag Show management team has worked to log steady increases over those years.

To the full credit of the N.W. Ag Show management team has been their continued support and response to exhibitor and market needs. Last year, the N.W. Ag Show brought all their seminars and association meetings on-site with the show which has proved to be enormously beneficial to attendance and sales at the show.

For 2010, BDC Advertising was asked to expand the show’s advertising footprint which includes multiple insertions in some 29 publications, 4 radio stations and an online Adwords campaign. BDC was responsible for all media buys, creative, placement, website development, SEO, Adwords, radio scripts, remote broadcasts, PR, coordination and follow-up.

Even though the show closed just a few days ago, BDC and the N.W. Ag Show management team are already making plans for next year’s show with website updates underway, post-show PR and a top-to-bottom evaluation of show efforts and strategy.

BDC Wins Wilco!

BDC Advertising, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Wilco Farm Stores to our client list. Wilco is an Oregon-based retailer with stores and business interests in Oregon and Washington. Wilco has three distinct divisions starting with 11 retail stores that offer a variety of hardware, farm supplies, gardening, clothing, pet supplies, pet services, fencing, feed and other items. Wilco also has an Agronomy Division and Fuel Division that is punctuated by an enviable emphasis on customer service and customer delivery to the N.W.’s broad and valued agricultural community.

BDC Advertising, Inc. was selected to develop, produce and launch a new website for Wilco that embraces all three divisions and shares the rich and important story of this proud Oregon company. The effort is intended to leverage new web technologies to better connect Wilco’s customers with the company and keep the market apprised of the companies deep product offering and services.

BDC was selected from a field of several and a final group of three after several interviews, submissions and a final presentation that detailed BDC’s tailored vision and thinking.

BDC is expecting to launch the site early this summer.

BDC Lands the Big One!!!

I’ve been chasing this one for over twenty years. Had my first encounter back in college while trolling the local area for whatever would bite. Back in the days, my buddies and I would see him frequently… more times than we’d like to admit. But we just never seemed to be able to get our hands on him. He always seems to taunt us and stay just out of range.

Last week we got our first real opportunity and went after him. Hooking him was fairly easy…I cast out a small plastic lure and he went for it with vengeance.

Once we were certain he was hooked up, the fight began. We had to break out the heavy gear for this one… bolt cutters, a 24ft aluminum ladder and several hundred feet of rope.

There was no way I could handle this guy all by myself. It took five of my closest friends over two hours to finally get him up to the boat.

Getting over the rail was the toughest part. He put up one heck of fight. Darn near broke the windows out and tore up the sides pretty good.

Thankfully, everyone understood what was at stake and never gave him an inch of slack to play with. With three lines firmly attached we finally got him into the boat and lashed down.

That’s when the fun started. Nothing like driving through downtown Lake Oswego at 10 AM on a Saturday morning with a 17’6” Great White shark in tow. The reactions we got were priceless. Actually had one woman convinced we caught it in the lake and recovered several small children and a Chris Craft from its belly.

This shark is destined to become the centerpiece of the offices of BDC Advertising, the company that manages many of the fishing and marine brands you all use on the water. Although, we have not yet confirmed whether Mr. Jaws will even fit in the lobby. It’s possible he could find a new home at Fisherman’s Marine.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a big fish.

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