>> STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

To serve as marketing advisors for:

Vroman Graves Associates (VGA) has assisted companies across the spectrum of industries – from PSCU Financial Services, service providers to credit unions, to Vitro Packaging in process manufacturing, to Harcourt, Brace in publishing, to Academy of Science for Kids, to Meadow Burke Products in manufacturing.  More than seventy-five years of collective experience has enabled VGA to position companies for success.

Our philosophy is simple:  To provide the highest level of value to our clients.

Our value includes:

•  A record of excellence in developing dynamic corporate positioning and branding programs
•  Full-service capability
•  A business perspective to thorough marketing communications
•  National and international award-winning creativity
•  The highest level of professionalism
•  Financial responsibility with your marketing budget

We have invested several years of our careers on your side of the desk, as such, we appreciate the day-to-day challenges that you face.  This experience and your needs drive the structure of services offered by VGA.

Distinctive, Innovative Thinking

At Vroman Graves, quality begins with innovative thinking.  The latest in computer technology enables us to enhance design, but it's our creative horse power – how we think – that sets us apart.

Our marketing communications continues to produce award-winning programs: Awards of Excellence from International Association of Business Communicators, Gold Addys, publication in the BOOK of AMERICAN TRADEMARKS and GRAPHIS, and top-rated advertising programs in leading publications.

High-powered Visual Communications

With competitive rates, extensive use of technology, networked business partners and vendors, Vroman Graves Associates can give your company the cost-effective, dynamic image once reserved for the FORTUNE 500.

Service Offerings

Our service offerings are broken down into the following disciplines:

Brand Development:  A primary means of corporate communications, collateral, print advertising and direct mail is often called upon to make the first impression for your organization.  At VGA, we have been designing award-winning, lasting-impression brands, brochures, annual reports, print advertising and direct mail for more than twenty-five years.

Our services include conceptual design, copy development, photography research and shoot direction, prepress and print supervision, and logistics.

Market Research:
At Vroman Graves we believe in research that provides actionable results. Research not only benefits new product and customer service initiatives, but if properly designed, it impacts the messaging and form the communication takes. Understanding the point-of-view of the prospect, communications can be sharpened to deliver a message that has lasting impact. Vroman Graves utilizes an array of research techniques including focus groups, customer intercepts, mystery shopping at retail and trade shows, online or telephone surveys and one-to-one in-depth interviews.

New Media:  As technology has advanced, we have too.  The internet is revolutionizing the way companies market products and services.  It is opening  global opportunities and broadening exposure.  Vroman Graves Associates’ core web development team includes expertise in dynamic design, site marketing, innovative MS certified coding and database development, tier one connection speeds and co-location hosting. Our sites include basic informational sites to very comprehensive commerce sites.

Premium Promotions and Corporate Apparel:  Corporate promotions play a very important supporting role in brand development. Vroman Graves has long-standing relationships with the major wholesale suppliers in premium incentive items and clothing apparel.  We use only first-class product embroidery and screen printing.  Our clients have often commented on the quality/pricing/ delivery value of our service in this area.

Print Advertising, Media Buying and Placement Management:  Fortune Magazine, Business Week and the Wall Street Journal have all seen VGA designed print campaigns.  We have developed and managed top-rated national and international advertising programs for industry leading companies across the country.

Understanding where your clients and prospects go to learn about you is essential.  Comprehensive media reviews (publications, news papers, web, direct mail, etc.) helps us to identify the most cost effective means for you to communicate.  With this information in hand we negotiate the best possible rates and develop evenly weighted placement schedules designed to build a consistent visible presence for you.

Strategic Planning: Our seasoned professionals are adept at sitting down with your management team to develop marketing strategies. We keep our strategic approach simple: Understand the market, your customers, your competition, unveil real opportunities, and exploit those opportunities with innovative tactics. We are capable of facilitating a complete strategic planning process or tackling one planning component for your business.

Trade Show Services: Trade Shows and displays are an extension of both branding and sales.  While we are not a sale organization, we do recognize the need for complete integration between sales and marketing.  Our comprehensive trade show management services have been designed to fully support your sales team objectives. We provide portable, modular and custom exhibits.

Our show services include exhibit design, graphic design and production, show registration, pre- and post-show strategy, set-up and dismantle, exhibit staffing, boothmanship training, exhibit management, shipping and storage.

Established Network of Vendors

Our network of printers, visual presentation consultants, trade show construction, photographers, etc. are nationally recognized providers.  They understand our expectations, respect our deadlines and provide cost effective services.

At Vroman Graves Associates, we realize our success hinges on your success.  And because of this we approach each engagement with the same objectives in mind.

•  Position your for industry leadership
•  Develop a consistent corporate brand that reflects the culture of and the quality of your services
•  Provide our services effectively and efficiently

To accomplish a consistent level of performance, we have developed a common methodology to our approach:

•  Establish a working partnership with your people
•  Assess the economic climate of your industry
•  Determine the issues that challenge your competitiveness
•  Evaluate the selling cycle and the buying influences in your industry
•  Develop and apply the best solution for you

Generally, we prescribe to an integrated approach to marketing communications (refer to figure 1).  The model that we have developed is based on a wheel.  In this model, your business plan is the hub of the program, and each spoke represents a tool of marketing.  If the spokes are not integrated properly the wheel will not be balance.  If all the spokes are removed the wheel will collapse.  This approach is a continuous process designed to remain responsive to your changing needs.

Our experience has taught us that each culture, industry, and company has its own approach to selling services.  Because each client is different, our solution to each engagement differs.

However, the selling cycle generally begins with the generation of a lead (refer to figure 2).  At this point in the process, the information given in the marketing material should be benefits driven.  As the sales process begins to focus in on a single sales objective, the material should become more specific in purpose.  The right side of figure 2 shows the relationship of the buying influences to the level of benefits verses features of the product.  For example, the economic buyer is interested in the benefits of the services to his/her company, the user buyer is interested how the service will help him/her, and the technical buyer will be concerned with the details of the product.

Very often marketing communications are expected to generate direct income.  However, there is no replacement for face-to-face contact in closing the deal.  But by investing in marketing communications, you can increase the awareness of its services, change any existing negative attitudes, and enhance existing positive attitudes.

Dynamic and aggressive marketing communications precondition the market for a sale to take place.  And most importantly, effective and consistent marketing communications translate into strong consumer confidence among your clients and prospects.

The affordability of marketing communications is often a major concern of the client.  And it may sound like an integrated approach to marketing communications will call for substantial investment.  But all too often, too many advertisements, brochures and other collateral material begin as half an idea or are restricted by a deadline.  At VGA, we believe effective marketing communications begin where your services begin: with a plan.  So before we initiate any work, you will know our recommendations, and authorize any projects.

Our many years in communications industry has built a tremendous resource network for us to draw upon to provide the highest quality product for your dollar.  Vroman Graves Associates offers only as much or as little communications assistance as required by you.