Six Components of Marketing

by Ross Rademacher

There are several components of marketing, including but not limited to, advertising, personal sales/fundraising, sales promotions and public relations. Marketing and its tactics are divided into several categories as shown below.

Six Components of Marketing:

1. Growth Plans – Strategies to identify and reach an organization’s goals.
- Marketing Plan
- Market Identification
- Budget Allocations
- Growth Potential
- Market Research
- Funding Sources
2. Corporate Identity – The overall look and image of an organization.
- Branding Techniques -
Point of Difference Story
- Logo
- Mission Statement
- Trademarks
- Customer Service Goals
3. Public Relations – Tools to generate favorable publicity in Media.
- Press Releases
- Crisis Management
- Press Kit Distribution
- Information Dissemination
- Media Representative relations
4. Advertising – Devices used to affect new and existing consumers.
- Television
- Internet
- Radio
- Web Advertising
- Newspaper
- Yellow Pages
- Direct Mail
- Magazines
5. Sales Force/Fundraising – Individuals who bring in revenue from the field to the organization.
- Sales/Fundraising Staff
- Sales System
- Target Market
- Follow-Up Methods
- Prospect Identification
- Presentation Materials
- Sales Philosophies
6. Merchandising – Instruments used that display product or concept’s, benefits and features.
- Trade Show Booths
- Location Signage
- In-Store Displays
- Catalogs
- Product/Concept Signage
- Brochures/Flyers
- Website


All components are employed at different times in the life of a successful organization.


Each component of marketing has significance and benefits in its use. There needs to be a distinction made between what is known as public relations and advertising. Public relations role in marketing is to focus on a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including employees, board members, stockholders, public interest groups, government and society at large.

There are five key goals of Public Relations (Clow, 2007):

1. Identify internal and external stakeholders.


2. Assess the organization’s reputation.


3. Audit the organization’s social responsibility.


4. Create positive image-building activities.


5. Prevent or reduce image damage.

In many cases public relations costs nothing or the expense is minimal compared to buying media time or space. To depend on public relations as the only “tool” in your marketing tool box can be a disaster. Public relations gives the organization limited control in its messaging. Additionally, a consistent message cannot be maintained over a long enough time span to influence consumer behavior.

The over-dependence on PR can actually cripple the dissemination of information due to the lack of control of the media. This can be seen by anyone who has given an interview to a reporter. The aired or published story does not always line up with what was originally said to the reporter. It is uncontrollable and can have many variables that could affect the validity and non-biased presentation of the facts. All it takes for a Public Relations campaign to go awry is a young reporter pushing her own agenda or not checking sources and facts. Many times, active public relations occur in response to a specific event. Private industry and the environmental movement have both had to react in the past. PR isn’t always getting the good news out, it is also responding to the bad.

It has often been said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity!” Tell that to Exxon after the oil spill in Valdez, Alaska. On March 24, 1989, Exxon shipping president Frank Iarossi was quoted: “The clean up is not proceeding well. Believe me, that is an understatement. We have a mess on our hands.” (BBC News Archive, 1989). That statement or situation does not get cleaned up with a nice photo op of birds and seals on a beach.

The Nature Conservancy responded after one of it’s board members was attacked for a questionable land deal that showed a conflict of interest, “…IRS is conducting a major audit of the Arlington-based Nature Conservancy, the worlds largest environmental organization.” (Stephens, 2004) “IRS”, “conducting audit”, “Nature Conservancy” is not a series of words that a Nature Conservancy PR person would want to see in one sentence.

A young reporter, oil spill or land deal gone bad is the flip side of public relations. At this point it crosses into a whole different sphere of “Crisis Management”. (Dezenhall, 2007). It has this dubious name for a reason. Public relations consultants are called in after a negative or crisis situation develops. The information dissemination either went awry or simply had an undesired affect. At this point public relations tactics are no longer cheap, but highly costly. It can take millions of dollars and years to overcome not only negative PR, but badly disseminated PR.

Time to Gain Market Share

By Ross Rademacher

Well, the Federal Reserve has finally come around to thinking like Montana’s own economists. Just last month the Fed said it appears that the U.S. economy has halted the longest period of decline since the Great Depression, although it cautioned that economic activity is likely to remain weak in the near term.

Larry Swanson of the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West thinks that many of Montana's current woes are psychological rather than economical. People tend to listen to the gloomy outlook in other parts of the country, but he feels things are much better here than elsewhere. Not that times aren't tough, "It's going to be a difficult year in Montana, no doubt about it," stated Swanson last spring. And in a statement earlier this year Paul Polzin of the University of Montana echoed Governor Schweitzer’s stance when he said, “We've been searching for realistic doomsday scenarios, and we just can't find any.”

Of course the recession has had an effect on local businesses; no one has emerged unscathed. Our clients tell us that sales are generally at 2004-2005 levels. Not great, but not a disaster. Through it all, one fact is abundantly clear. Even if you’ve never had to actively market your business in the past, now you do. And the top reason you have to market? To gain market share.
We know that when the market recovers, which it is sure to do, businesses that have gained market share will thrive and prosper. You will be light years beyond the competition by spending your advertising budget wisely today.

According to Forbes.com just last month, the affluent consumer is tired of economizing and ready to spend again. They’re patting themselves on the back for surviving the worst of the recession and ready to reward themselves. From a marketing standpoint, we see an opportunity to reach out to existing and potential customers that you can’t afford to miss.

Now is the time to gain market share, the only way that this can be done is to market your business. Time to Advertise, Advertise, Advertise….

Fair Time

The Western Montana Fair in full swing in Missoula this week. The first year I went to this fair I was stunned at how small it seemed. I was also surprised to see that the composition was different from the fairs of my youth in Wyoming. There was much less agriculture represented. I began to wonder: if the fair doesn't represent agriculture and farm products what is its purpose?

In thinking about the fair, I am reminded of the economic role that fairs once played for my European ancestors. Fairs and gatherings like them, were opportunities to socialize and network, buy and sell wares mostly manufactured at home, to breed and improve livestock and crop varieties and to demonstrate the latest technologies in home production. Essentially a moving hub of commerce in an age without department stores or UPS; the pre-technology version of the internet. Each person's booth or display of livestock or cottage-crafted goods and food items is a small web-site to be visited and explored by the community at large.

More recently, fairs served a similar purpose for education, social event and market. I grew up in Riverton, Wyoming in the 1980's and the Fremont County and Wyoming State Fairs were huge. At the time, Fremont County had a total population of about 35,000 but was deeply agricultural mostly beef cattle, sheep, swine and hay production. The County Fair was the central event of the summer with hundreds of entries from 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA) and general competitors on display. 4-H and FFA were and still are excellent opportunities for kids to develop skills that can lead to career choices, long-term hobbies or just a chance to explore interests. Much of the latest farm technology was on display and our western heritage was celebrated with steam engines and rodeo events much the same as the Western Montana Fair. For rural kids without a lot of resources top prizes in some events included all-expense paid week long trips to the Wyoming State Fair and the Denver Stock Show. Having your bull win big at one of these events was a great marketing tool for a beef grower.

I was very excited to see that the Western Montana Fair has begun to pull in resources from our sizable organic and local market-farms, value-added food products and the restaurants that embrace them. Tuesday's West Lawn Market held presentations on sustainable farming and being a localvore, year-round gardening and composting. The Cast Iron Chef competition was fun for watchers and cookers. Our local re-building organization, Home Resource sponsored a cubical to teach about the reuse leg of reduce-reuse-recycle.

I think the western Montana fair is beginning to remake itself in a new role as a celebration of western Montana's traditional economic base, our growing diversity and our commitment to sustainability and local production of goods, food and services. Missoula has a vibrant 4H community with project choices that reflect our area and the interests of local youth. Projects can be drawn from any area of interest a youth or an adult leader may have including photography, bicycle and forestry.

Missoula has a beautiful fair grounds. I hope that this event can adapt to the growing Green, Local and Sustainable movements in our economy in a way that embraces the future and celebrates the past.

Informational Interviews.

by Barb Kennedy, PHR

During these tough economic times I see more people who are looking to change career fields and aren’t sure where to begin, how to format their resumes or how to sell their transferrable skills. One of the things I usually recommend to these folks is to conduct some informational interviews with people in their chosen fields. For the employer it’s a great way to promote the business. During this slow time it’s to your benefit to invest your time in recruiting for the future and laying some groundwork for finding great employees when business takes off again!

The savvy interviewer will not only be asking about the business where the interview is being conducted but will also be asking how the entire industry is doing and what the employment outlook is in the field. They’ll be expecting leads to other similar businesses or industry contacts so it’s also a way to show how businesses partner and collaborate. Of course they’ll want to know about salary ranges, travel, hours of work, flexibility and all the obvious pros and cons of the business.

They may also be asking for advice on what particular skills and abilities contribute to success in this field, suggested reading, and what professional organizations are related to the industry. The savvy business person will have most of this information at his/her fingertips. These interviews can be a wealth of valuable information for job seekers. It’s a proactive way to find out where some of the less visible jobs may be and to discover businesses that typically maintain a low profile.

In his article, “4 Mindsets of a Successful Leader,” Keith Ferrazzi lists generosity as the first mindset. He goes on to say, “This is the commitment to mutual support that begins with the willingness to show up and creatively share our deepest insights and ideas with the world. It’s the promise to help others succeed by whatever means you can muster.” The relationships formed in these interviews may go on to spark innovation and create global team cohesion leading to more success for everyone.

Thrive or Survive

What does it mean to thrive in the downturn? As a recent University graduate with a Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree (economics) with some quantitative touches (math and statistics minor) this question is foremost in my mind. I’ll be looking for a way to earn income by the first of July and I fear the prospects aren’t very good. I have strong ties to Missoula and am not willing to relocate. In this highly educated city finding work was challenging before the recession. According to the 2000 census 32.8% of Missoula county residents had earned Bachelor’s degrees or better. I personally know many people with master’s and doctoral degrees who were working in construction because the wages were pretty good and they could continue living the outdoor lifestyle many of us in Western Montana value. I suspect that some of these people have fallen back on their education with the slump in the housing industry.
Even with a 3% unemployment rate in 2007, high paying jobs with benefits were scarce. In Missoula county, 61% of jobs, based on the Wage and Benefit metric , a measure of job quality conducted in 2007, rated three stars. These ratings are based on qualitative measures of jobs such as full-time, health benefits, wages compared to median wages for the region and more.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry estimates April’s unemployment rate in Missoula at 5.8%, (April is the most recent month available on their website). While this is still much lower than the national unemployment rate, 8.9%, it is twice the rate of two years ago.

I’m looking at job listings and there’s not very much out there for me to apply to. In my economics graduation ceremony our department head, Doug Dalenberg pointed out that it may take months for us to find jobs and that we all need to be patient and persevere.
Many of us are considering weathering the economic storm for the next few years in graduate school. Among my class mates, lots of us were looking at going directly into graduate programs. But, by the basic laws of supply and demand, graduate admissions and financial support are more competitive.
The good news is there are many resources out there to help us all out. Job Services provide help for both prospective employees and employers. The University of Montana’s Career Services continues to be available to recent graduates. They offer help with resume prep and list jobs.
All in all, the theme of today’s economy is uncertainty. Niches exist and some businesses are thriving in the downturn. The real final exam for today’s grads is whether we can discover one of these niches for ourselves.

Reflections on Green Recovery

Reflection on Green:
by Marcy Allen

Bitterroot Economic Development District (BREDD) recently hosted a half day workshop in Missoula called Green Recovery: creating jobs and partnerships around Montana’s clean energy future. The workshop’s goal was to inform regional businesses about opportunities to grow the green economy through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act programs. The first half of the workshop was informational and the second half focused on developing ideas around some of the funding opportunities.

Now that I am not in the midst of it I have had time to reflect:

1) My favorite feature of the workshop was the diversity of knowledge and skills represented. It reflected the skills needed to run a successful business. There were people with financial skills, some with field experience, some experienced with planning and those with sales and marketing abilities. I think this diversity promoted good networking and conversations.
2) The presenters and panelists did an incredible job. This workshop was put together in a short period of time and the participants did a good job sharing their knowledge to date.
3) I would like to be able to package and distribute the connections that were formed during the breaks and at the social networking event. How do we encourage this type of information sharing in our very busy lives?
4) I am especially excited about the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. Missoula City and County have allocated $680,000 and $160,000 respectively for this program. Smaller communities in the region can apply for these grants through the state DEQ.

Here are some interesting tidbits:

• An increase in Tax Credits for the installation of 75% efficient biomass-burning stove http://www.hpba.org/index.php?id=34

• Appliance rebates may be in the works for Energy Star appliances. Check in with the DEQ

• A list of energy audits training and certifications:

o National Center for Appropriate Technology: www.ncat.org
o Saturn Resources: http://srmi.biz/
o UM's College of Technology (COT): http://ace.cte.umt.edu/about/default.html

Due Diligence Means Asking the Tough Questions

By Tracy McIntyre


Taking time for Due Diligence!

Spring has finally found its way to Western Montana. With the grass turning green, calves and foals frolicking in pastures, and small towns a buzzed with activity after a long winter, Spring is a great time to invest in the future of Western Montana. It is also the time when due diligence is most needed. From business ventures to capital campaigns for community facilities to donating to a local charity, it is essential that individuals take the time to plan for their future, plan for their business, and determine the best use of their charitable donations.

In many small Montana towns, a handshake is all we need for a deal to go through. Because of our small town community spirit we are also the target for individuals who may take advantage of that hospitality. It is important for people to ask hard questions before they invest in a business venture or donate to a charitable activity.

I strongly encourage asking what your funds will be used for. Here is a little heads up… if someone is unwilling to discuss how funds raised will be used it might be a red flag on that organization or business venture. Fund raisers should have a plan in place before heading out and asking for investors/benefactors. It is perfectly legitimate for you to make sure that what you are giving to or investing in will have a positive result for you and your community.


Volunteering and/or Serving on a Committee:
As a volunteer on a committee or organization, it is your duty to make sure that you are representing your entity and project in a positive manner. You can ask others who have joined to give you background information on themselves. You can even ask for a resume and check references if there is any doubt of the volunteer's ability or sincerity… ask questions, check references and make sure that the person is who s/he says they are. This is especially important if you have people volunteering to be the forefront of your organization's fundraising efforts.
A common mistake for organizations is the belief that any and all volunteers are good. Though I fully encourage volunteerism, the worst thing for your organization is having a volunteer falsely represent you or represent your entity in a manner that harms your organization. As leaders you need to have the ability to not accept and even "fire" volunteers who are harmful. You don’t want to ruin your organizations efforts and reputation just because one person misrepresents themselves.

TIPS for organizations:

Build in 5 minutes at the beginning of each meeting for an icebreaking activity. Taking a few minutes to learn about the individuals in your group is worthwhile. Icebreaking activities at the beginning of each meeting, especially the first ones can build confidence and trust within the group. Marie Wallace wrote "Guide on the Side-Ice Breakers and Other Related Activities". Her article has information about forming a group, breaking the ice and building trust. http://www.llrx.com/columns/guide67.htm

If your organization wants further assurance about its members you can implement a membership application requesting for references and/or background information. Then, if the need arises you can check those references.

Making a Donation:

If you have been asked to donate to a charity and/or a fundraising event, it is within your rights to ask how funds are going to be used. We are all aware that money is tight. Asking those hard questions will help you determine the best value for your charitable donation. It is extremely important that when making a charitable donation you are doing so with confidence. If you are approached to give money it is your responsibility to ask for a project budget, a short term plan, how the entity will continue in the future (if applicable), and for information on the individuals involved in the project.

Any entity that is trying to make the community better should have this documentation and be willing to share it with their funders. If they don't have the requested information available they should be willing to follow up with the information requested. If an organization (or an individual) is unwilling or acts offended by the request… step away; there are a number of entities that are more than willing to provide you with the information you need to make the most of your generosity.

TIPS for Donors:

Requested information may include;

• Project goals and implementation plans (case statement)


• Who benefits from the project and how


• Outline of how funding is spent


• How much money is needed


• What happens if only partial funding is raisedo IRS Tax number of organization


• Good standing certification from the Secretary of State


• Responsible Parties or Board of Directors list


• Contact information

Before pledging or making a donation:

• Research the entity asking for funding- check local newspapers


• Google the organization and/or individuals involved to see if there are any red flags


• Ask friends, colleagues, and family about the organization and individuals

Further information for developing a fundraising plan can be found at Free Management Library. http://managementhelp.org/np_progs/fnd_mod/fnd_raise.htm

Making a Business Investment:

Due diligence is essential for individuals who are investing money into a business venture. Even community based ventures, like cooperatives, need to have a strong plan that shows their capacity and outlines their steps to success. Investors should ask for cash flows and projections, budget materials, business and marketing plans and resumes of the principle people.
Again, if anyone becomes offended or protests you asking for planning documents…move on to a different venture.

TIPS for Business Investors

Request Information:

• Business Plan and/or Feasibility Study


• Marketing Plan


• Financial Statements


• If already in business: current year and previous 3 years Profit and Loss statements, 3 year projections and cash flow


• If startup: 3 year cash flow and projections, start up budget and 3 year operating budget.


• Resumes of key players with references

Do your own research:

• Google other companies with similar services and product- is the market strong? Is there local competition? Is there new technology emerging in the field? What materials are needed and are they available?


• What are the businesses strengths and weaknesses? Do they have the capacity to return your investment? Is investing in the business venture worth the risk?


• Negotiate how and when you will receive a return on your investment. Have it laid out in a clear memorandum of understanding before making the investment.

For more information on planning a business: http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html





A handshake is still an extremely valued gesture of confidence and is part of why I live in Western Montana. By applying some due diligence before the handshake is made, we can ensure that the type of business lifestyle we live here for, can remain in Western Montana for our future.