Next-Mark’s 2023 Wrapped – A Year In Review

Every year has its highs and lows, its wins and losses, and like in marketing and communications, how you see them is all about perspective and how you choose to grow from them is entirely up to you. Though our year had its challenges, we know our resilience and accomplishments are far greater and stronger than the tribulations we faced to earn them. So, we would like to take a moment to look back on 2023 and be proud of what we have achieved this year.

MARKERS & MILESTONES
Without further ado, let’s dig into peak Next-Mark moments, shall we?

Hosts with the Most
We made our way around town in 2023 and word on the street is we like to have a good time. Our team organized and hosted some of the biggest events in Sarasota of the year. From the freshest block parties to engaging, intimate gatherings and tailor-made hospitality launches, our events were instant hits.

9 City of Sarasota Events
Fresh Fridays

1 Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Trustees event at our office

Launching 2 Hospitality Clients including 

Boo’s Ice House & Dog Bar & BESO

Hosting 2 Salesforce Events in the US and Canada

Toronto, CA Mixer 

Columbus, OH Mixer at Top Golf

Supporting Local Organizations
We were the corporate sponsor for FPRA’s (Florida Public Relations Association) Central West Coast Chapter in 2023. It was a pleasure to champion our coast’s community of PR professionals and help support them as they foster connections and provide education in the public relations and communications fields.

15 Awards to Back It Up

Recognizing our Core Business
Although the Next-Mark team isn’t typically one for boasting, we came out on top quite a few times this year, and if we can’t plug ourselves in our Year in Review, when can we? With thirteen ADDY awards and one Statewide Caribbean Gold Angel Award from the AAF (American Advertising Federation), it’s safe to say we worked our tails off to produce unparalleled work for our clients this year. 

13 ADDY AWARDS

1 Statewide & Caribbean Gold Angel 

Oh, and we can’t forget about the celebrity around the office, our Manager of Client Experience and Development, Travis Cornwell, who received a Rising Star award from FPRA.

1 Rising Star

In the Headlines
This blog may be about us, but we’re really all about our clients’ successes day in and day out. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to catapult their businesses to the front and center of audiences and showcase the incredible work they do.
5 Front Page Cover Stories

Onwards & Upwards
Like with all new endeavors, it takes time to cultivate and establish them. When done right, though, the results are well worth the effort. We are proud to report we increased our Salesforce client base by 40% in 2023.

WRAPPING UP THE WRAPPED 
Our culture is one of “how can we step up”? It’s in our name, after all. We are always looking toward the next step in growth for our team and clients, but you can’t grow without building on what came before. Moving into 2024, we take with us all our experiences from 2023, the good and the challenging, while never losing the values that got us here in the first place: kindness, loyalty, and trust. From the Next-Mark team to you, May the joy of gathering with friends and family, cozying up with festive traditions, and the spirit of giving fill your heart with warmth this holiday season. Warmly wishing you and your loved one’s good tidings. Till next year!

Looking to hit the next mark in your business goals in 2024? Let us help you achieve those New Year’s resolutions. 

Reach out to us today!

Sarasota-based marketing and communications agency receives Statewide and Caribbean Gold Angel Award

SARASOTA, FLORIDA (November 29, 2023) – Next-Mark, a full-service marketing and communications agency serving clients in Florida and nationwide, was recently recognized with AAF’s Gold Angel Award for their exemplary public service work in advertising during the 5th Annual American Advertising Federation District 4 Angel Awards ceremony in Tallahassee, FL.

At this year’s Angel Awards, competing in the category of Organization or Cause Promotion, Next-Mark received a Gold Angel, the highest accolade awarded in a category, for their community-based work with Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.  

“Although we create for a wide variety of businesses, it’s incredibly important to us that we participate in and support organizations doing great work in our own community,” says Joseph Grano, President of Next-Mark, who accepted the award on behalf of his team. “To be recognized by our peers for the work we do in our region with local non-profits who are making a difference in our community is just an added bonus to the gratification we get from doing these kinds of projects.”  

Every year, the American Advertising Federation District 4 conducts the Angel Award Competition, honoring the very best in public service advertising by honoring campaigns that demonstrate exceptional results and execution. The awards combine two missions of the organization: to utilize industry expertise to address community issues, and to celebrate and honor advertising excellence. Entrants consisted of a variety of advertising service providers, public service organizations, and special interest causes and groups located in Florida and the Caribbean.

“Seeing all of the excellent work in public service advertising created in Florida and the Caribbean year after year is incredibly inspiring. Creativity and innovation continue to evolve in our market, while dedication to creating an impact grows stronger each year,” says Giavona Williams, Governor of AAF District 4. “The award-winning work always gives a deep look at the current issues that impact us. This year was no exception. COVID, social issues, fundraising challenges, drugs; public service advertising addresses it all,” stated Mike Weber, Chair of this year’s Angel Awards competition.

View the full list of winners and the award show video at www.TheAngelAward.com.

About the AAF District 4

The AAF District 4 is one of 15 regional American Advertising Federation (AAF) Districts nationally. It is comprised of 18 local federations located throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The AAF District 4 is different from any other advertising trade organization because it is comprised of a network of professionals that represent all disciplines of advertising at all levels. The District’s goal is to inspire, inform, and educate advertising professionals, mentor advertising students, monitor legislative issues, recognize excellence, promote public service causes, and help build our economy. For more information, visit https://www.4aaf.com/.

About Next-Mark

Next-Mark, LLC is a full-service, award-winning marketing communications agency based in Sarasota, FL. It helps business leaders beat their growth targets by delivering better competitive insights, more powerful branding, stronger strategies and faster results. Breaking away from the constraints of traditional marketing service organizations, the Next-Mark team facilitates new conversations about a client’s brand, integrating experience, analytics and innovation in developing strategic marketing solutions to meet clients’ individual needs. Next-Mark focuses on internationally and nationally recognized brands along with growing companies across a broad spectrum of categories, including home services, architecture, government, healthcare, technology, hospitality and entertainment, tourism, retail, real estate, environmental, marine products and tourism. With clients from California to South Africa, its roster includes industry leaders such as Comcast/NBC, LexisNexis, Elsevier, Neuroflow, Nuance Communications, CMX/Cinebistro, Medecision, CGI, California Pizza Kitchen, along with Florida-based clients including The City of Sarasota, Willis Smith Construction, St. Armands Circle, Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors, Get Coastal Exteriors, John Cannon Homes, Yarnall Moving and Storage, CitySide Apartments, and The Met Sarasota among others. For more information, visit its website at www.next-mark.com.

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A Guide to Crisis Communication in Modern Day PR

Public Relations is the cornerstone of effective crisis communication. In the midst of unexpected challenges, how an organization manages its public image can make or break its reputation. Crisis communication through PR involves a strategic and dynamic process aimed at preserving trust and credibility.

With so many avenues for communication as a business today, the odds of facing crises that require astute and timely responses are naturally higher, so it’s essential your public relations team is decisive yet adept at de-escalating and maintaining your brand’s reputation.

In this year alone, large businesses like TikTok, Silicon Valley Bank, and Ticketmaster faced a flurry of public scrutiny. Though a crisis can feel catastrophic, it only is without great communication management. PR professionals must act swiftly to assess the situation, gather accurate information, and develop a well-thought-out communication plan. This often includes crafting clear and empathetic messages that address the issue at hand while demonstrating the organization’s commitment to resolution. So, don’t panic or freeze, instead become crisis ready by creating a response plan that include the following three steps:

You want to be prepared and ready to lead at times when it matters most. Think of crisis management as an opportunity to showcase your brand’s true character and ultimately, that you are a brand to trust and follow. Keeping these steps in mind will help you handle the unexpected successfully.

We may be equipped with language, but communication isn’t always second nature to us. Take the pressure off and turn to Next-Mark for any public relations and communications challenges your business may encounter.

When you partner with us, not only do you have a vast resource of marketing solutions at your fingertips, but you can expect a team of dynamic and seasoned professionals ready to collaborate with you. View our capabilities video to learn more or get in touch at 941.544.2765 or send us an email.

DISCOVER OUR FULL SUITE OF MARKETING SOLUTIONS

You started your business for a reason; you saw a need or desire and knew you could create a service or product to fulfill it, but if no one knows what you do, and more importantly, who you are, you’re not going to get very far. That’s where strategic marketing begins.

Effecting marketing, marketing that actually moves the needle, isn’t an ad here or a social media post there, it is integrated content working together consistently to tell your brand’s story. Leveraging an extensive suite of marketing tools and comprehensive strategies, we take your business’s potential and create a brand that’s uniquely yours and stands out against the rest. Here’s how we can jumpstart your business’s marketing engine.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT & VIDEO PRODUCTION

Our team develops video content starting from conception through to fruition. Whether it’s a short clip, like an Instagram reel, TikTok, or YouTube short, or a longer piece, like an explainer (“how-to”) or a cross-platform campaign, we create productions that capture your brand’s story and your audience’s attention.

Discover the Power of Brand

When you partner with us, not only do you have a vast resource of marketing solutions at your fingertips, but you can expect your business to be handled with the utmost attention and creative determination. View our capabilities video to learn more or get in touch at 941.544.2765 or send us an email.

It’s an acronym that has been a part of the marketing nexus for years now, SEO. Search Engine Optimization. You’ve probably heard if you’re not using SEO for your site, then your business is missing out. For the most part, that’s correct, Google’s algorithm directs the flow of internet traffic, and the algorithm “likes” certain things. What is sometimes overlooked (or oversimplified) about SEO is that it’s not only about placing the right words and using them as many times as possible, but also about creating content and an experience that people find valuable and enjoyable.

The Hard Truth About SEO

There’s no tricking Google’s algorithm. It’s too smart these days, relying upon many different aspects to develop its rankings. It’s ever evolving to be better and provide better results for its users, so if you’re getting into the SEO game, you should be ready to put a lot of time and energy into it and not expect overnight results.
Sounds a bit disheartening, right? Well, here’s what we do know about SEO and an overview of implementations that drive results.

WHAT IS SEO & WHY IS SEO IMPORTANT?

SEO is improving a website by working on specific elements that will help your site rank higher on Google’s results page. Why do you want to rank higher on Google? The most current statistic is 75% of people never go past the first page of search results. Then take into account that anyone can find anything from anywhere, and you’ll realize just how much competition there is in every industry and market.So, the higher on Google’s search results page you are, the more traffic your site will get, which ideally, should lead to more business for you.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT SEO ON YOUR SITE

Google’s algorithm for ranking sites is based on relevance and trust. The more relevant and trusted Google finds your answer, the more likely your site is to rank highly on a search results page. How does Google determine what’s relevant and trusted? Here are a few of the major factors that come into play with rankings.

HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT
Your content needs to be valuable and relevant to your audience. This is where your keywords live, but they shouldn’t be shoved into copy. Content for content’s sake won’t do. Content is also where site maintenance comes in. Fresh, updated content that your audience actually wants and finds value in will help you rank higher. Find out who your audience is and how you can give them what they’re looking for to generate great content.

KEYWORDS
Knowing your audience and what they are searching for is the easiest way to find useful keywords. Again, keywords shouldn’t be haphazardly placed into content because the number of times they were searched, instead gather keywords into topics and themes, allowing it to guide the kind of content you create, so that they are used organically.

MOBILE COMPATIBILITY
Knowing your audience and what they are searching for is the easiest way to find useful keywords. Again, keywords shouldn’t be haphazardly placed into content because the number of times they were searched, instead gather keywords into topics and themes, allowing it to guide the kind of content you create, so that they are used organically.

PAGE SPEED & USER EXPERIENCE
When visitors go to your site and explore your pages, how quickly does it load? Not only does page speed contribute to Google rankings, but it also contributes to the level of user engagement. People will only wait so long for an answer they need before exiting out of a page. On the topic of user engagement, how visually attractive is your site? Is it easy to navigate? The user experience on your site should not be undervalued. A better experience leads to longer time spent on a site and a greater chance a user will engage with your business.

RELEVANT & VALUABLE LINKS
To establish trust with Google, your site should contain links, both internal and external, that provide value to your content and your audience. As is the rule of thumb with content and keywords, links should also be relevant, high-quality, and fit in naturally. If you’re debating whether to insert a link, ask yourself if it would add anything of value to the page or blog first. The answer to that question should tell you what to include or not.
SEO NEXT STEPSBy considering all these factors and beginning to chip away at each of them, you will optimize your site, as well as your searchability and rankings. An audit of your site is a good place start to begin your SEO journey. From there, you can see where your site is lacking and where you can improve. Have you reviewed your site’s health recently?

GET STARTED

Still, implementing SEO can be an overwhelming and time-consuming endeavor. The best practice to remember that should ease the process is that at the end of day, SEO is about creating a stellar user experience filled with content tailored for your audience.

At Next-Mark, we understand the importance of an online presence along with the challenges it presents. That’s why we offer superior SEO and Digital Marketing services. If you feel our capabilities could assist you, please do not hesitate to reach out! 

Get in touch at 941.544.2765 or email us.

We would like to give you a look inside our team members’ recent ventures and life milestones, allowing you to get to know us a little better. Lately, we have traveled to far-off places, welcomed new life, produced works of art, and excelled in our fields. Welcome to our world!

ADDING TO THE FAMILY

Ryan Hoevenaar, our Director of Creative Strategy, welcomed a new member to the family in February when a healthy baby boy, Logan, was born on 2.9.23. Congratulations to Ryan and his family!

RISING STAR

Next-Mark’s team is always reaching new heights both as an agency and individually. We are proud to announce that Travis Cornwell, our Manager of Client Experience and Development, received the honor of the Joe Curley Rising Leader Award from the Florida Public Relations Association. The award nominees highlight up-and-coming FPRA members that demonstrate emerging leadership traits, and the winner is recognized for their dedication to active involvement in FPRA Chapter activities, programs, functions, and events. Congratulations Travis!

THE DOCUMENTARIAN

Luke Piety, the team’s Creative Producer, produced and created a short documentary about The Anna Maria Island Players and their theatre’s rich history. The documentary first premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival in April, showing in the Florida Filmmaker category, and later, officially released to the public with a premiere at the Island Players Theatre itself on Anna Maria.

Watch the documentary here.

WORLD TRAVELER

Our Manager of Client Experience, Matthew Fenton, recently embarked on a trip to Indonesia, backpacking around its beautiful isles and embracing the full spectrum of experiences these captivating islands have to offer. From the pristine beaches of Bali to the lush rainforests of Sumatra, Matthew traversed the beautiful landscapes while immersing himself in the vibrant culture of the island life. This extraordinary experience allowed him to witness life in its rawest form and dive into the breathtaking waters renowned as some of the best diving spots in the world.

The Value of Video Content

Most businesses today implement video to market their brand and raise their online presence. With the global average for time spent watching videos a day being 84 minutes, there is no arguing that the use of video is an effective way to grab an audience’s attention and foster engagement. And in today’s social media landscape, content with video receives 1200% more shares than text and image content combined.

Where to Implement Video Content

Smartphones changed the game. People can watch video anytime, anywhere, but with so much entertainment and information at everyone’s fingertips, content must capture viewers’ attention and with social media, it must do it quickly.

There are a number of avenues at your disposal to apply video. Here’s an overview of where you can take advantage of video content in digital marketing and expand your online presence.

Social Media 

If a social channel wasn’t originally geared toward video, it is now. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Facebook are all driven by video content, and tweets that contain video on Twitter get 10x more engagement than without.

These videos work best in short form and are meant to attract audiences. For example, Instagram reels and stories can be up to 90 seconds long, and TikTok allows up to ten minutes, so it’s best to keep them brief. Brand films that showcase your values and mission, product demos, explainers and how-to videos, and product or event announcements are ways to draw viewers in and show off your brand’s personality.

Live Video and Webinars

Social media does allow for longer videos, mostly in the form of live streaming. Live video can be used to stream an event, product launches, seminars, expert interviews, Q&As, and much more. It makes your business more accessible, convenient and encourages viewers to comment and ask questions.

In the same vein, webinars provide live interaction with your audience. People seek out videos to teach them new skills and information, so why not use webinars to produce educational content that will develop consumer trust in your brand? Consider hosting one to reach a larger audience, generate and nurture quality leads, and position your business as an expert in your field.

Pro Tip: Recording live streams is an easy way to repurpose them later for other content, reutilizing clips from the video on social media and your website. 

Websites, Blogs, Emails

The investment and effort to create video content can be great but it’s also time and money well spent. Video content can be repurposed and distributed in so many ways, such as on your website and blog. Adding video to these helps increase SEO rankings by keeping your audience more engaged and on a webpage longer, and adding video to an email increases clicks by 300%. 

Developing a Video Marketing Strategy

“Video makes people pause what they’re doing to watch. Once you have their attention, the question is what will you show them that they’ll engage with and invest in?”

Joseph Grano, Next-Mark’s President and Founder

Create quality videos that are engaging for your target audience

Take advantage of the tools each platform has for video creation and application. When developing a video marketing strategy, understand first and foremost who your target audience is and then choose the right platforms to reach them. From there, get creative but know your audience well; you will be speaking to them on a personal level. Picking the best type of video for each platform and promotion is instrumental to a successful video strategy, as well.  

Although creating video content has become easier than ever with cameras on our phones that can film in 4k, at the end of the day, creating quality videos that drive positive results requires a little bit more than a smartphone.

At Next-Mark, our team is expertly equipped to develop a impactful video marketing strategy and is capable of producing high-quality videos for any platform that will kickstart and sustain engagement.

If you feel our capabilities could help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Get in touch at 941.544.2765 or email us.

DIVING INTO THE BROADER LANDSCAPE OF MODERN PR AND MEDIA RELATIONS

By: Ashley Bernhardt

Modern PR and media relations have undergone vast changes in the past three years. Though traditional journalism outlets have scaled down, media relations are more relevant and pertinent to marketing than ever. With other media platforms expanding, navigating and assigning the appropriate importance to each can feel daunting. Here is what we know:

DEFINING WHAT MEDIA IS IN TODAY’S WORLD

Social Media Influencers & Bloggers 

Social media’s reach is undeniable and those who have large followings have cultivated target audiences that can be hard to register with otherwise. Influencers are a media contact to consider when promoting a launch, campaign, or product that can prove valuable in increasing reach and fostering engagement.

Podcast, Webcast & Radio Hosts

An even greater relevant resource for media relations are podcast hosts. The rise in podcasts popularity is monumental and their content is a huge medium where people get their information. Although podcasts can be treated as media outlets and their hosts like journalists, doing the proper research and finding the appropriate shows to reach out to is essential. The right podcast can provide a format that informs as well as entertains, creating brand trust and garnering connection.

MODERN PR TOOLS

Along with a redefined version of what a media outlet is today, modern PR utilizes a variety of digital tools that can aid with nearly everything, such as monitoring earned coverage, measuring results, managing contacts and lists, press release distribution, and streamlining outreach.   

DIGITAL ADVERTISING AND SPONSORED CONTENT

Not a replacement for earned media but a supplement to it, paid media does have a relevant place in the online and social media environments. Targeted advertising across social channels drives awareness of a brand and draws in your key audience prior to earned coverage, and a carefully crafted and curated paid placement can contribute to an earned strategy by reminding viewers of your unique value.   

Paid media doesn’t have to be the shameless advertorials of a decade ago, or more likely than not, shouldn’t be the plain self-promotions of the past. Paid content can be genuinely good and engaging, surrounding and boosting your earned media.

THE BOTTOM LINE

One thing is for certain in this new digital landscape, the importance of PR and media relations is still instrumental in marketing, and it’s not all “in with the new, out with the old.” All have a place in elevating your marketing strategies and delivering success.

If we can help with your Public Relations strategy, please reach out to info@next-mark.com

Client Relationship Management (CRM) software is ever-evolving and improving. With so much technology at your disposal and fingertips, where do you begin and how do you put it all into a cohesive strategy?

Why Use Salesforce

The options today for a CRM platform are numerous, but Salesforce continues to revolutionize and be the industry standard. With a multitude of tools, Salesforce can aid in all aspects of your business.

Whether your business lacks a systematic process or could improve upon its current processes, CRM brings greater insight and better organization to operations. It does this by keeping track of client interactions and sales data in ways such as managing leads, contacts, opportunities, and cases, as well as packs powerful means to aid in marketing and sales. 

The Benefits of Salesforce Implementations

Salesforce can streamline your project management, automate processes, and provide you with more data for better analytics.

How does CRM software make your business more efficient? 

Communication with clients and handoffs between departments become elevated with Salesforce. CRM creates a 360-degree view of leads, giving companies the ability to measure where a lead came from and prioritize it based on its most current information. Similarly, on the client communication side of things, sending contact forms and contract renewals via automation are just a couple of examples of routine processes that can collect data more efficiently. This type of project management saves your team time, so they can focus on areas that will bring more value to products and/or services.

What does automation do for optimizing operations? 

No matter how adept or organized the worker is, human error happens occasionally. Client data is often loaded with contact information, project notes and documents, and deliverables with deadlines. With Salesforce’s capabilities, errors that can occur with these procedures and data-capturing systems can be reduced by automation and free up your personnel to take on more clients without a decrease in quality.

Additionally, time management and scheduling become easier with Salesforce integrations. From assembling a list of current leads for a weekly meeting or sending out a renewal document when a contract is ending, CRM can automate it.

What can access to more data do for your business? 

As these technologies gather an impressive amount of data, companies are allowed to conduct detailed examinations of what is working or not working for their business. It can show in a quantifiable way which aspects of a marketing or sales strategy are valuable. To expand on this, companies can evaluate the ROI on a specific campaign, which contributes to the overall strategy of future campaigns.

Bringing It All Together

“CRM, along with every other facet of marketing, is one of many cogs in a wheel that, ultimately, have to work seamlessly together to produce a great product.”

Joseph Grano, Next-Mark’s President and Founder

Although the data collected from CRM and the analytics it provides is no doubt valuable, it’s important to recognize that this information and these numbers are just that without a savvy team to analyze and implement strategies based on them.

The integrations Salesforce possesses can be overwhelming and complex, so it may be in a company’s best interest to enlist an expert to maximize the benefits of implementation.

Helping Navigate and Implement Salesforce to the Fullest

At Next-Mark, we are a certified Salesforce Partner, which makes us especially skilled in finding the best ways of integrating the software into your business. CRM technology can do wonders for increasing your bottom line if you know what you are looking for and how to properly develop effective strategies from it. 

If you feel our capabilities could help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Get in touch at 941.544.2765 or email us.

Growing Upward and Reaching Further

The first quarter of 2023 at Next-Mark has been a time of new client growth, addition of new team members and important milestones for our business.

Off to a Great Start!

The first quarter of 2023 at Next-Mark has been a time of new client growth, the addition of new team members, and important milestones for our business.

I cannot credit our team enough for their hard work, dedication, and invaluable ingenuity. Despite the satisfaction and pride that comes with all the recognition, we are nowhere near finished in our endeavors to grow and push the envelope.

Introducing Our New 2023 LookBook

We are pleased to present our 2023 LookBook! The LookBook not only highlights the incredible partnerships we have fostered but showcases Next-Mark’s exceptional and far-reaching creative capabilities.

Next-Mark Earns a Company Record of 17 American Advertising Federation ADDY® Awards

The 2022 awards span multiple categories that directly impacted the success of Next-Mark’s diverse clients. The categories of excellence we were recognized in included: integrated marketing campaigns, video, ambient media, branded content, and digital media, among others.

The Next-Mark team continues to be committed to delivering impactful creative content driven by a strategic business approach. To be recognized by our peers is a testament to our results-driven process, as well as the dedication of our team in delivering exceptional work on behalf of our clients.

The Beirut Peacekeepers Memorial Ceremony

Next-Mark is beyond grateful to have played a part in such a beautiful day honoring the veterans of Beirut and celebrating the groundbreaking of The Beirut Peacekeepers Memorial. Being able to orchestrate the media day on behalf of our clients Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors and Willis Smith Construction felt like such an honor in getting the coverage an event like this deserves. The amount of support, love, and connectivity within this community couldn’t be more transparent in moments like these.

As it was said many times that day, “Never forget, and always remember the peacekeepers of Beirut.”

We’re Only Getting Started

Here at Next-Mark, we will continue to take on new challenges and embrace creative risks. We look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.

If you would like to collaborate with us, we would love to hear from you! 

Get in touch at 941.544.2765 or email us.