Wishing our friends find peace, prosperity and purpose this holiday season and in the year to come.

In doing business, trust is important. There has to be a mutual understanding and respect between companies doing business together. We understand this, and we take our clients trust very serious. We work hard to ensure every effort is made to intentionally do the right thing, make the right investments every time, time after time. We're in the business of making sure your business is successful and prosperous. We would like to extend a very hearty thank you to our clients and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to our friends everywhere.

News from SEMA

By Lee Clark, VP Business Development, Nye & Associates

It’s good to be home. SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) was very exciting, and action-packed but WOW is it a lot to take in over a few days! There were more than 100,000 people who attended SEMA in Las Vegas and more than 2,000 exhibitors, ranging from car audio to performance products to automotive aftermarket accessories. There were B2B companies and consumer-direct companies, and many who were both! We had two clients exhibiting this year, both are international manufacturers/distributors of automotive accessory products to help protect your vehicle. We also made some new friends. The good news is our clients are up in terms of annual revenue compared to this time last year. And more good news - many marketing directors and company owners admitted their sales revenue was either up, or flat. Most companies were not down. Not to say there weren’t a few. Overall, the auto industry is seeing a comeback that has been working its way up the ladder the past couple years. This is a good thing. For all of us. It means jobs and a more stable economy. While SEMA offered new concept vehicles, celebrity appearances and some of the coolest vehicles in the world - the best part for me was hangin’ with our clients and watching them succeed!!

Amid our nation's financial confusion

By Lee Clark, VP, Business Development, Nye & Associates

Some say the economy is rebounding.  Some say we're amid a second economic collapse. Though everyone may be thinking it, but not many saying it, it is just plain difficult to to know who is correct and who is using the nation's financial status as an aggregate to promote self reliance.

It's possible and likely that some companies are taking advantage of customers in order to make a buck. And that's just sad. That said, while there are hardships and new opportunities during this period of change one thing remains constant.  And this is something we should all remember, including me. New customers will not know who you are unless you tell them. Whether you have a comprehensive advertising program in place or you simply make phone calls or utilize DM or the Internet to reach out ... it's crucial to reach and touch / educate your prospective customers.  It's equally important to maintain contact with existing customers. After all, the best customer is one you already have (haven't heard that one before have you?)

So whether you're a small mom and pop or an international multi-gazillion dollar company.  Get busy, gettin' busy.  If you run into any hiccups along the way, give me a shout: lee@nyeandassociates.com.

Marketing Dollars: Gambling Off Limits

By Lee Clark, VP, Business Development, Nye & Associates

So, I’m at a convention in Las Vegas recently where I'm waiting to be seated at Mesa, Bobby Flay’s restaurant inside the Bellagio.  To kill a few minutes I sat at a slot machine.  I’m the first to admit I’m not a gambler, and so the idea of tossing money into this glowing metal piggy bank wasn’t enticing.

However, since our group was occupying the seats, I felt like we should at least drop a few quarters.  And so that’s what I did.  I dropped in and quickly lost $4.25.  Now, to some that may not seem like a lot of money.  Fact is, it might as well have been $100.  Not to say some don’t go to Vegas and strike it rich, but I personally witnessed a lot of gambling and a lot of LOSING during my visit.  This made me think of how important it is that companies NOT gamble with their marketing dollars. They’re so far and few between these days.

I think it’s important that companies invest where it makes sense.  Many times this is tied to promoting the right message to the right audience using appropriate creative.  Targeted approaches are becoming increasingly important as marketing dollars dwindle, and with the advent of the Internet, social media, mobile device marketing, QR codes, etc., the options are so vast.  Here at N&A, we consider ourselves experts in getting our customers the biggest bank for their buck.  We’ve proved it for 33 years, and we’re still proving it today, with local, regional and national accounts.  Are you in need of precise targeting to help build sales and drive traffic?  If so, hit me up at lee@nyeandassociates.com. Thanks!

What 2011 means for marketers

It's 2011 and our country is coming out of the recession. Really! What this means to many marketers is that there may be an opportunity to ramp up your marketing efforts and take market share away from your competition.

At Nye & Associates, we believe this is also a great time to do a better job of targeting your marketing. By doing so, you can be assured that you a hitting a much greater number of "real" prospects", and as a result, maximizing your return on investment.

For many businesses, a well thought-out social marketing program can be a powerful tool in reaching prospects. If you are interested in learning more about putting social marketing to work for you, give us a call at 316-263-5878.

Gary Nye
President
Nye & Associates

Becoming a proactive business 101

Today we live in a highly competitive world where setting your business apart from the crowd is even more important. Often companies lose sight of the competitive advantage that is gained from being proactive.


We’re talking about keeping your company’s look and interaction with your clients current.

Here are a few questions every business should consider:

• When was your last headshot taken and what does it say about you?
• How old is your website and is all of the information current?
• Is your business social?
• How old is your printed literature?
• How’s your photography look?

Your headshot
I know why in the world did we really go here? The truth is, customers want to relate to who they are working with even more than in years past. Having a natural and relatable headshot can be a foot in the door. Who really wants to work with someone who has a cold frowny face? If we are totally honest, relatable CEOs and staff pictures help.


Your website
How recently has it been updated? Websites are dynamic tools and it’s important to keep them looking fresh and current.


Your sociability


Are you social? Have you thought about using social media for your business? Being online is a great way to stay connected to your audiences, wherever they may be.


Your printed literature

Annually auditing your current literature is key to keeping your company current. If your company reaches a new certification, updates a logo or adds a new product and you haven’t updated it in your literature, then you might be sending mixed messages to your customers. Another way to look at it is from the view that styles change and if your literature hasn’t, you might end up looking out of date.



Your photography
Photography is one of the most overlooked items when it comes to marketing a company. Stock images are cool and cheap but what happens when another business starts using the same image in your market? Talk about mixed signals. Another thing to look at is the environment in your photos. Cell phones have gotten smaller, computers screen are no longer tube style and TVs are now flat. Good photography can give your business the competitive edge that sets it apart.


It can hurt making an honest assessment of your company, but with the help of an agency like Nye & Associates you can get headed in the right direction.

Contact us for more - 316.263.5878.

Jeff Wendling

Art Director

Nye & Associates

Need help launching a new product? We can help.

Golf Essentials, LLC, of Wichita, Kansas, recently developed a revolutionary new product for golfers called SandyCaddy.™

Although simple in design and concept, SandCaddy™ will make a huge impact within the golf community. Walking and riding golfers can now add sand to divots from irons simply and quickly, promoting faster grass growth.

Golf Essentials tapped Nye & Associates to help develop all the components necessary for a successful new product launch, including consumer goods packaging, logo, an e-commerce website, displays and promotional sales sheets.

Nye & Associates was instrumental in the new product being awarded Best New Product of the Year at the 2011 PGA Show. Nye & Associates, Inc., is currently working with Golf Essentials to develop comprehensive strategic marketing plans geared toward driving consumer and dealer sales.

“Nye & Associates helped us put this entire product launch program together in less than three weeks. We had to be at the PGA Show and Nye made it happen. In fact, we won new product of the year, thanks in a large part to the package, literature and website design they created for us.”

– Mike Allen, Partner, Golf Essentials

If you have an idea for a new product or are ready to go to market, call us (316.263.5878) and we'll help you get the results you want.