Blog o' RAMA

2009 Marketer of the Year Awarded to University of Rochester Medical Center

The 2009 Marketer of the Year was Awarded to University of Rochester Medical Center at a luncheon held this past Wednesday, May 20, at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Of the 12 semi-finalists the U of R Medical Center received the top scores by all judges.  “Everything done right, great creative!” was what they said.

Other winners included:

Turn-Around/Start-up Marketer of the Year: Element K
“Great positioning, great concept, great results” were the comments from our judges.

Non-Profit Marketer of the Year: ESL Federal Credit Union
 “Good use of historical data to refine approach. Creative execution clear, attractive and consistent" said the judges.

On-line Marketer of the Year: Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield
“Tremendous amount accomplished in 5 days. Significant business results. Blend of online and offline techniques. Very impressive” were comments made by the judges.

All semi-finalists were judged in five areas, analysis of their business situation or opportunity; objectives and measures; strategy and approach; tactics; and overall results. You can read about one of their marketing case studies below.

Title sponsor of this year's event was again The Rochester Business Journal, and presenting sponsor the Simon Graduate School of Business, at the University of Rochester. Supporting sponsors were Cohber Press, Dunn and Rice Design, and John Smillie Photography.

Keynote presenter was Mark Ruszczyk, SVP Marketing & Sales at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. Mark shared his insights and learnings regarding the creation of their Healthy Blue Campaign which earned them the Marketer of the Year Award in 2008. Our thanks to Mark for doing a great job as our keynote speaker this year.

The Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing Association is one of the fastest growing chapters among the 75 chapters of the national organization. The Marketer of the Year premier program which culminates a year of over 15 events, providing education and leadership in the marketing community. Speakers have covered topics such as Marketing ROI, transforming Walmart, Personal Branding, Web 2.0 for Sales and Marketing etc.. Each event has drawn over 100 marketers from all over Western New York as well as our many collegiate chapters.

Membership is a great value at RAMA. Currrently there’s a special promotion, which includes a $30 off the national membership, local membership as well as a $20 gift card, $200 off a national web workshop as well as a FREE access to AMA's Live Members-Only Webcast: “Destination. Success. Taking Control of Your Career in the New World of Work.

RAMA's May Meet-up

RAMA invites one and all to our second meet-up: come on out to network and get noticed.

No need to register. Just show up on Thursday, May 7th at Northfield's Food and Drink, located at 3001 Monroe Ave (entrance in back).

Time: 5:30- 7:30. We had outstanding attendance at our last event of this kind. Many board members will be there to answer any questions you have about us, as a growing Rochester organization.

Tweet it up if you Twitter!

April Event: Web 2.0 for Sales and Marketing with Dana VanDen Heuvel

RAMA is proud to announce our April event: Web 2.0 for Sales and Marketing, with Dana VanDen Heuvel, a pioneer in the blogsphere who continues to be a leader and innovator in social media, today. His company, BlogSavant^tm is one of the first blog consultancies created.

Thanks go to presenting sponsor Windsor Media Enterprises 

 This event will help the you understand how Web 2.0 works for sales and marketing. This year, in January, Dana launched the "Marketing Stimulus Plan Boot-Camp" in Wisconsin, to help companies "revitalize [their] marketing strategy to help [them] swim upstream during the recession and position [themselves] for long-term success."

We look forward to having Dana share that insight and reveal a bit of what he teaches in that program, with our local business community. You'll want to bring your whole team to this one! Register below...

Date: Wednesday, April 29th Time: 11:30- 1:00 Location: Mario’s Italian Steakhouse

2740 Monroe Ave

Rochester, New York 14618

(585) 271-1111

Members: $35.00
Non-members: $45.00
Student: $20.00
Board Members: $20.00

Register here now!

Personal Branding 3.0: A Panel Discussion

Please join us for the Personal Branding 3.0 Member-Only Networking Event and panel discussion on March 19th at 7:30 am, for breakfast.

 

The panelists will share the tools needed to position yourself more competitively and proactively in today’s market. If you are a marketer in transition as a result of the current economic crisis, you won’t want to miss this event. This is a members’ only event; however, it is not too late to join RAMA.

• Dr. Neil Hair, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the E. Philip Saunders College of Business, will speak to the local Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing Association on personal branding in the age of web 3.0. With the current economic climate and increased personal competition, Dr. Hair’s presentation will explore the means by which you can present yourself online more effectively.

• Bruce Peters, president & CEO of CABHQ LLC, will explore the essential tools needed to survive and thrive in a Gig Economy. No one is out to land a job anymore. They land gigs. If you are not already a part of the Gig Economy, you might want to start thinking about it now.

• Patti Phillips, Executive Director for Career Management at the Simon Graduate School of Business, will share the methodical way of translating your specific work experiences into a more generic and usable discussion of your abilities. After being displaced from an organization, you have to rethink how to portray what you have accomplished. Learn the technique on how to best “market your skills" to other companies.

AT: Mario's Italian Steakhouse: 2740 Monroe Ave: Rochester, NY 14618: 585-271-1111
TIME: 7:30 a.m. registration & networking: 8:00 Program begins
PRICE: $10 Member and Student Chapter price

Register here now.         

RIT Saunders College of Business Hosts Managing Innovation and New Product Commercialization Series

The RIT Saunders College of Business is hosting a unique executive education series titled Managing Innovation and New Product Commercialization. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from some faculty who have worked in the business for many years and will be able to immediately apply the information that they receive. Case studies, mentoring from local business executives, and vibrant interaction within the classroom will add to the overall learning experience.

This series is designed to provide individuals with the framework, tools, techniques, and latest methods to help them become more effective in developing new products and services for their organization. The focus will be on topics such as breakthrough customer needs, design thinking, new product development processes, organizational changes, and innovation. 

It is targeted to mid to upper level managers, business unit managers, and executives who are involved in the development and marketing of new products and/or services. Their research has shown that companies who send teams develop integrated plans and work together on implementation.

Here are some the key benefits: 

•    Develop an innovation and new product development strategy
•    Identify barriers to innovation
•    Understand the implications of disruptive innovations and industry disruptions
•    Understand what it takes to create value in the customers’ eyes
•    Creating and managing the innovative organization
•    Develop Market Attack Plan for bringing new products/services to market
•    Expand your networking community
•    Receive critical feedback from business professionals

This series runs for 8 consecutive weeks and takes place on Monday evenings beginning March 9th from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m and will conclude on April 27th. The cost of the entire series is $1,500 and dinner is included. 

A limited number of scholarships are available. Discounts for multiple people from the same company are available and teams are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register visit RIT Saunders College of Business.

February 26th: Join us for Pricing as a Competitive Advantage

RAMA's February event is a must attend luncheon. Sponsored by the Simon Graduate School of Business, this event will address a key issue troubling marketers today: pricing.  

Julie Meehan, Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP, will speak to the local Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing Association on using pricing as a competitive advantage. Her presentation will explore:

The Pricing Excellence Model: 6 Core Competencies

1. Pricing Strategy
2. Price Execution
3. Advanced Analytics and Price Setting
4. Organizational Alignment and Governance 
5. Pricing Technology and Data Management 
6. Tax and Regulatory Effectiveness

Fo location and more information click here to access our events page. Or, register today, below.

Please register here, today.  

Exciting Times in Marketing

With all the doom and gloom on TV, with all the bad news being circulated around the net, one would think it was time to pack up and go home. Except, according to daily news reports, for many there no longer is a home to go home to.

Rather than sit at your desk, head in hands, bemoaning the state of the economy, it behooves every person in every company - especially the CEO and Director of Marketing - to stand up and make a declaration. "We're not participating in this recession! Let's brainstorm some new, exciting innovative ideas - NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS!"

What Every Marketer Wants for Christmas: A few new connections

We know it's the busiest time of year for marketing professionals. Still, we want you to play hooky for a couple of hours—and we’ve got free food to entice you!

On December 9, RAMA is hosting our annual Holiday Networking Bash. Network with Rochester’s top marketers at this members-only event. You’ll make some great connections. And after you’ve been missing for two hours, the world will appreciate you just that much more.

Location: Tastings, next to Wegmans in Pittsford
Date: December 9th
Time: 5:30-7:30
Tickets: $30 for RAMA Members --- $25 for students

Click here to register - today!

RAMA Platinum Sponsor: Rochester Business Journal

Xerox's VP of Worldwide Branding to Speak at RAMA Event

RAMA ramps up the year with an exciting luncheon at Mario's Italian Steakhouse on September 16th. Title sponsor of this event is Roberts Communication.

Richard Wergan, VP of Worldwide Brand Marketing and Advertising Marketing Operations for Xerox, will speak on:

* Maximizing the competitive advantage of a global brand
* Lessons learned during Xerox's recent brand transformation
* Paying attention to the macro and micro brand elements

Xerox recently went through a brand transformation. Plan on attending to hear Wergan share some insights around that transformation with the attendees at this premier RAMA event.

Date: September 16th (registration by September 12th)
Location: Mario's Italian Steakhouse; 2740 Monroe Ave.
Roch, NY 14618  585-271-1111
Time: 11:30 Networking ... 12:00 - 1:00 Program and Lunch

AMA Member price: $30
Non-Member price: $45
Student Chapter Member Price: $20
Board Price: $20

For more information visit our Events page.

Study Shows CMOs Need to ReThink and ReCalibrate

Just in from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council today: "...the majority of global companies surveyed acknowlege significant deficiencies in their go-to-market capabilities and marketing and sales processes."

Shocking news? Probably not. The survey comes from more than a thousand senior marketing and sales execs from multiple industries, so the media alert I received told me. "This research was conducted in partnership with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)," they went on. Together, the CMO and the BCG reported these findings:

The CMO Council and The Boston Consulting Group define the "go-to-market" process as comprising the strategic and tactical aspects of delivering and supporting a product or service offering in the marketplace. This includes product specification, pricing, distribution, marketing communications, sales, after-market support and customer experience management. The survey examines a broad range of marketing and sales variables tied to companies' go-to-market processes - including their strategies, functional competencies, operational processes, customer knowledge, relationship management practices, budgeting and level of innovation.

The survey revealed that a surprising number of marketing and sales executives at some of the world's largest and most respected corporations acknowledge a major disconnect between what they know they should be doing and what they are actually doing in terms of enhancing their go-to-market processes. What's more, respondents gave themselves decidedly low marks when assessing their existing processes.

For more information, or to download the report, visit the CMO Council website.