SALT LAKE CITY, UT--(Marketwire - May 19, 2011) - Small business owners must constantly react to new challenges to survive, according to Kevin Cushing, CEO of AlphaGraphics, Inc. One of the most significant challenges for many of today's small business owners is developing a strategic communications program that recognizes the game-changing impact that social media has had on the consumer/business relationship.
"It's a new business environment out there," says Cushing. "News about your company -- good and bad -- travels fast, and building a relationship with your customers goes way beyond simple buyer/seller transactions. Today, it's critical to recognize the role that your customers and others play in developing and maintaining the reputation of your brand."
The upcoming National Summit on Strategic Communications (June 6-7), sponsored by The Institute for Public Relations, notes that the power to influence communications is shifting from institutions to communities of individuals. Traditional marketing strategies that focus on product and service features are giving way to interactive strategies that focus on the business' reputation and values. As a result, the focus for marketing communications has shifted from helping businesses talk about their products to influencing how the businesses' relevant "community of individuals" (clients, prospects, competitors and product experts) talks about their products.
"The pressure is on small businesses today to develop a strategic marketing communications program that helps them identify and reach the right communities of individuals with the right message delivered in the right way," says Cushing. "At AlphaGraphics, our tools and services have evolved to help small business owners provide their existing and prospective customers with marketing messages that are both relevant and engaging."
AlphaGraphics offers business solutions to business owners to help them plan, produce and manage an integrated visual communications program that focuses on strategic brand messaging. Calling on both traditional and cutting edge technologies, ranging from personalized direct mail to e-marketing, social media integration, e-Publishing, mobile marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and more, AlphaGraphics business centers help businesses of all sizes develop an effective marketing program tailored to their strategic business goals.
"This is an exciting time in marketing communications," says Cushing, "but the technology is evolving so quickly that it can be tempting for a small business owner to jump quickly from one strategy to another in an effort to keep up. This reactive approach to marketing can actually do more harm than good. At AlphaGraphics, we help small business owners develop a marketing communications plan for today that integrates tried-and-true marketing approaches with innovative multi-platform messaging and then evolves thoughtfully as the business grows."
For more information about AlphaGraphics, please contact Cassie Salt at 801-595-7254 or visit www.alphagraphics.com.
About AlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics, Inc. plans, produces and manages visual communications for businesses at nearly 300 owner-operated, locally-based business centers worldwide. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the AlphaGraphics network leads the industry in sales per location. Backed by state-of-the-art technology, the world's highest quality standards and a global network, the company's trained and experienced team members are committed to delivering creative solutions that allow customers to communicate more confidently and effectively. AlphaGraphics is owned by Pindar Group, a leading print and electronic media company, which over the years has become known for its support of sailing through its sponsorship of several world-class sailors. www.alphagraphics.com.