On February 1, all eyes were on Phoenix as the 49th Super Bowl commanded the stage. The anticipation for the game is only slightly rivaled by the anticipation of what takes place during breaks in the game: the commercials. Millions of eyes were fixated on the television to see which brand would provide this year’s commercial hit. Behind the scenes advertising agencies twiddled their thumbs anticipating the response from watcher everywhere. However, one group was excluded from the excitement of the anticipation. No minority agencies were asked to provide their expertise for any of the commercials.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/minority-owned-advertising-agencies-shut-out-game-day-n297126

MRS REACH Mission: To help our clients REACH the diverse markets they serve by providing creative communication tools and programs via our strategic industry knowledge.

At Marketing Resource Solutions, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service to our clients each and every time. Our clients needs are our top priority. Whether it is website development, event management and planning or advertising, we go above and beyond to ensure you REACH your target audience.

We do not classify ourselves as a traditional agency. Our team of experts are proficient in many different areas and industries. The combination of our vast areas of expertise and knowledge ensures you that we are capable of producing quality work for our clients over and over.

Areas of expertise include:
Faith-based Marketing Solutions
Multicultural Marketing
Supplier Diversity
Non-profit marketing
Digital and web design
Content Strategy and Content Marketing
Community Outreach Solutions
Strategic Marketing Consultation and Planning
Creative Concept and Design
Project Management
Direct Marketing
Interactive Solutions
Social Media Planning and Execution
Copy Writing

Visit our website at www.reachmrs.com or give us a call at (336)510-7557 to discuss your needs and how MRS can help you REACH your markets.

Last week we discussed the importance of having a website for your small business. This week, we offer up some tips that will help ensure your website is informative, user friendly and a great representation for your small business.

1. Keep it simple: Your website should be easy to navigate. Do not overload it with information and minimize the amount of scrolling a visitor should have to do.
2. Easy to read text: You may be tempted to overload your website with italics and bold lettering. Don’t. The most easily read combination is black text on a white background. There are other color combinations that work well but this is the most common. Also, be mindful of the font you chose. Like the color combination, the font should be easy to read. The standard size for website font is between 10 to 12.
3. Use meaningful graphics: Graphics are perfect for websites when used properly. They help to break up the monotony by bringing the page to life. However, don’t overload the site with graphics.
4. Utilize a good use of color: Use two to three colors for your website that blend well and create a proper tone for your business. The use of too many colors in an unorganized manner can make your business appear, unorganized.
5. Update content regularly: There will be quite a few pages on your website that will remain unchanged. However, the pages that provide you with the opportunity to upload new content should be updated regularly. Static content is boring.
6. Mobile optimized: With the increased use of smartphones and tablets, it is imperative to have a website that transitions smoothly from desktop to mobile.
7. Easy access to contact information: The most common way to make this information available to users is through a tab near the top of the page and/or at the bottom.
8. Chose a domain name that is easy to remember: While your business name may be lengthy, it is important that your website domain is not. Unless you already have a large established presence, you want to provide potential customers and clients with a domain name that is not lengthy and clients have an easy time recalling it from memory.
9. Keep primary navigation bar above the fold: For example, “Home l About l Services l FAQ l Contact information should be placed in a very easy to find location at the top of your site. Primary and sub-navigation links should be in the same spot throughout your website.
10. Have a solid About Us/Me page: Curiosity is in our nature. People want to know who is behind the business. Provide potential clients/customers with a little background information, credentials and a picture. This will give them a better sense of connection and could be the one thing that draws them to use your business.

If you are in need to any assistance with your website, give us a call at (336)510-7523. We have the expertise to help you REACH your audience!

Every small business needs a website. According to a survey of more than 3,800 small business conducted by Google in 2103, more than half(55%) did not have a  website.

The most common misconceptions are that websites are costly and they require a lot of coding knowledge to be able to set them up. Nothing could be farther from the truth. MRS is equipped to work with small businesses that have small budgets. Before you automatically denounce the notion of needing a website, do a little research and check out a few reasons why your small business would benefit from having an online presence.

1. Serves as your online voice: With your website you are able to convey as much or as little about your company as you chose. The website should be an extension of your business.
2. Establishes credibility: More often than not, when a person is searching for information about a company or a service one of the first things they do is search for the company online. Not being able to find a company online raises a red flag. Do they exist? Can I trust them? Is this a scam? These are all questions that may come to mind if you have no online presence. A legit website can provide peace of mind for potential clients and consumers.
3. Build your brand: A website offers unlimited freedom to determine how your business looks to your customers/clients. Websites are flexible and have the option to grow as your business evolves.
4. Provides limitless opportunities: Your website offers you a chance to be noticed not only locally but nationally and internationally.

If you are in need to any assistance with your website, give us a call at (336)510-7523. We have the expertise to help you REACH your audience!

By the year 2024, it is estimated that 50% of the U.S. population will be composed of minorities. This staggering fact is one of the driving reasons behind companies pushing to develop multicultural marketing plans. Multicultural marketing can be defined as the practice of marketing to one or more audiences of a specific ethnicity—typically an ethnicity outside of a country’s majority culture, which is often called the “general market.” Multicultural marketing often takes advantage of the ethnic group’s different cultural referents—such as language, traditions, celebrations, religion and any other concepts—to persuade and communicate to that audience.

With a changing consumer landscape it is imperative that companies become more focused on multicultural marketing. James Russo, senior vice president of global consumer insights for consumer market analyst Nielsen stated in 2014 that, “The multicultural population is evolving very quickly. It’s young, it’s embracing new cultures, making more money … and expanding geographically.”

Numerous studies have shown that consumers are more likely to buy products from companies that “understand” them. A company that can resonate with its consumers through ads as well as community involvement places itself in a great position to accomplish its number one goal: increase revenue.

If you are in need of a multicultural marketing plan, give us a call. Let us help you expand your brand!

Denny’s “Hungry for Education” program is in full swing. MRS, the agency chosen to execute this program has been busy promoting the program up and down the East Coast.

Hungry for Education is a multicultural scholarship program that awards students nationwide with scholarships ranging from $1,000 – $2,500 by asking students to provide ideas on how Denny’s can fight childhood hunger.  In 2014, Denny’s partnered with several multicultural organizations to award scholarships to approximately 42 deserving students.

Visit dennyshungryforeducation.com for more information about the program and to apply for scholarships. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2015.

Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful and joyous holiday season. The MRS team is excited for 2015 as we are expecting new opportunities and growth to abound.

2014 was a great year for us! We were privileged to travel across the country to lend our talents and skills to some of the country’s largest and most notable companies and foundations. We expanded our service offerings into event planning and management.

BET College Tour

And, some of our highlights in this new arena included activating and managing booths for Denny’s on Tom Joyner’s Fantastic Voyage, the BET College Tour, Radio One’s Praise in the Park and Steve Harvey’s Neighborhood Awards in Atlanta and at AARP’s Life @ 50+ conference in Boston We also managed Denny’s booth at neighborhood job fairs for a soon to open new location in Brooklyn, NY.

Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage

A new client we acquired is Bi-Lo Holdings Supplier Diversity. Our work for them included numerous projects such as creating their website(www.biloholdingssd.com) and designing their trade booth.

Although we’ve added to our repertoire of services, we still maintained our work in our core offerings. We created the official program calendar and the handbook for the United Methodist Church. MRS also designed a mobile app, ads and flyers for the National Religious Broadcasters(NRB) Network.

MRS is thrilled about continuing our working relationships with these companies as well as establishing new ones. May your new year be as prosperous as we expect ours to be!

Denny’s booth at Steve Harvey’s Neighborhood Awards Expo

National Religious Broadcasters Network App

Praise in the Park in Atlanta

United Methodist Church Calendar

Inside of the United Methodist Church Calendar

United Methodist Church Easter mailer