News
Welcome! Join us for client publication news and updates, plus explore our thoughts on publishing, marketing, and customer service, as well as new technologies and ideas to make your next project soar!
Choose Your Favorite Cover!
We are thrilled to be publishing the first annual e-magazine for The Modern Jewish Wedding!
Michele Schwartz, editor and founder, has rounded up fabulous content including four gorgeous modern Jewish weddings, aisle trends for the new year, a behind the scenes look at a Paris-themed wedding and two guest articles from the best in the wedding business!
It’s truly a team effort! Did you know you’re part of the team? We need your help! Vote for your favorite cover bride and help us choose this year’s cover!
And stay tuned for the launch of the first The Modern Jewish Wedding e-magazine!
The Modern Jewish Wedding Cover Contest 2012
A Tough Customer
Most days I enjoy the excitement of marketing and sales until recently when I experienced the absolute most challenging customer….my three-year-old daughter. Most of the time I can “sell” Lyla on almost anything, but there was a great debate waging in our house: Why are shoes are necessary for school?
I’ve pulled out all the stops. I give her a choice of at least three different pairs arranged for her viewing pleasure. She usually gets at least 10 minutes to mull over her options. Socks are available for viewing as well, and I always include a shoe that is sock-optional, in case she is feeling ‘granola’ that day. Yet, on the three days of school each week we usually leave the house in tears because ultimately she doesn’t want to wear shoes. I don’t fault her. We have a really relaxed household and on most non-school days, she is the barefoot princess. I grew up in the country and would rather endure the pain of stickers in my feet than don a pair of perfectly good shoes. It’s probably genetic, but school doesn’t care about genes. They do care about shoes.
So do I have a solution for this dilemma? A short-term one I suppose. I caught a shoe sale last week and purchased three brand new pairs of shoes that I let her pick out herself. All of you gasping moms take a breath. Yes, I let my three-year-old pick out her own shoes because if she likes them in the store the odds of her liking them at home are much higher. Her choices included a silver patent leather dressy shoe, a pink tennis shoe (we should have gone with the light up option) and a washable sandal. All are preschool and cool-weather appropriate. I even threw in a pack of socks for grins. Lo and behold, this week we haven’t had any shoe drama. And which pair has she worn the most to school – her dressy silver shoes. Do they match her attire? On most days not, but I’m all about shoes on the feet, not if they actually match. Do I think the great debate is over…not by a long shot, but I’ll take one week of no drama anytime!
What have I learned from this? There is a solution for even the toughest customer!
— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
Happy 1st Birthday!
One year ago today, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc. was born!
We set out on a journey to create a custom publishing business that would serve local clients, provide excellent customer service and a way of life that Chellie and I both craved for our families. It’s been exhilarating, terrifying at times and truly amazing to see what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it! Chellie and I feel incredibly blessed to have such a mutual respect for each other’s talents and strengths; we’re growing and learning more every day!
Monarch Media has served 12 outstanding clients in the past year. A huge “Thank You” to each and every one for trusting us with your business. It’s been an honor and pleasure to work with each of you!
So, what’s in store for our second year? Keep following us to find out; the journey is just beginning!
Like us on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter.
— Andrea Exter, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
Kicking Off 2013 with The Austin Bar Association
If you’re an Austin attorney, the special September issue of Austin Lawyer is now in your mailbox! Kicking off the 2013 Austin Bar Association year, the largest issue of the year is packed with news, original articles, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
Monarch Media is proud to partner with the Austin Bar Association in producing Austin Lawyer. We love feedback! Drop us a line at publisher@monarchmediainc.com.
Visual Stimulation for Your Brand
Like every other woman on earth, I am finding that I have a special love affair with Pinterest – the gorgeous photos of the places I could go, the recipes I could make, the etsy-inspired things I could craft, the garden I could plant, the clothes I could buy…I could go on and on.
Stepping back from the personal fun of it all, what I really want to know is how I can make it work for my clients’ business’ and my own. One of my favorite magazines, Fast Company, takes a look at just that with its article, “The Rise of Visual Social Media” – visual stimulation for your brand. I love the ideas in this article for putting user participation to work for your marketing. I thought you might too.
Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/monarchmedia!
— Andrea Exter, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
An Unusual Source for a Successful Sales Model
In the age of sophisticated technology, it’s often easy to dismiss ‘old school’ ways to obtain sales. In fact, the customer may prefer a slower pace of purchase. It was refreshing to read this article about Omaha Steaks’ sales model and how they’ve been able to adapt to the ever changing sales market, yet still maintain avenues for their tried and true customers — through phone orders, mailed orders and, yes, even faxed orders.
Before heading to strict online sales, think about your audience — your customers, your clients. How do they like to purchase versus how do you like to sell? We can learn a thing or two from a company that has seen a world of change through its 95-year history.
And if I’ve made you hungry for steak — well, here you go: http://www.omahasteaks.com.
— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
5 Tips for Using Email to Acquire Clients & Improve Relationships
Our April post, “Email Marketing Still Preferred,” talked about how email is still the preferred marketing method. Expanding on that idea, I thought I would share another article from Target Maketing offering “5 Ways to Use Email to Acquire Customers and Improve Relationships With Existing Ones.”
Some of these you may know already, but it’s always a good refresher since email plays one of the biggest roles in communications with current and prospective clients.
— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
Thank you, Austin Bar Association!
The newest edition of Austin Lawyer, the official publication of the Austin Bar Association, is out on the streets. Thank you to the Austin Bar Association for introducing Monarch Media in our first edition as publisher! It’s an honor to serve Austin’s best attorneys and provide a vehicle for the organization’s communications.
Austin Lawyer is published 10 times per year and features articles written by, and about, the Austin legal community. With over 4,000 legal professionals reading Austin Lawyer, the publication keeps attorneys and their clients up-to-date with the ever-changing developments in law. Monarch Media provides complete custom publishing services for Austin Lawyer including promotion, advertising sales and administration, design, and production.
Olympic Twitter
I ran across this article on eM+C regarding Nike indirectly capitalizing on the Olympic Games through Twitter. The first paragraph made me think who else will be indirectly capitalizing on Olympic goers and viewers over the upcoming weeks. The article mentioned that Nike is not an Olympic sponsor, and as someone who helps companies obtain sponsors, of course my first reaction was “how rude.” Then I thought, “how smart.” They have taken a free platform and transformed it into a tool to generate interest in their brand.
This article is a good read for those of you who are fans of Twitter. It might offer some large scale marketing ideas.
How do you currently use Twitter to promote your brand?
— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
In Memory of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” author Stephen Covey
Today’s blog post is dedicated to the memory of Stephen Covey who passed away yesterday, July 16, 2012 at the age of 79. He was the author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” – a great book if you haven’t read it! Here is a brief overview. For the complete wiki entry, click here. Thank you, Mr. Covey, for your wise words!
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages. First published in 1989, the bestseller was commemorated by the release of a 15th anniversary edition in 2004. Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls “true north” principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless. In August 2011, Time listed Seven Habits as one of “The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books.”
The 7 Habits
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life’s principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences that follow.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life. Create a mission statement.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize, plan, and execute your week’s tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you toward goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value and respect people by understanding a “win” for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving.
Habit 6: Synergize
Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modeling inspirational and supportive leadership.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle. It primarily emphasizes on exercise for physical renewal, prayer (mediation, yoga, etc.) and good reading for mental renewal. It also mentions service to the society for spiritual renewal.
source: Wikipedia