Scam Alert: First Class Publications and Golf Lynk

Just a little shout out to the World Wide Web on a new scam I recently came across.  It's "First Class Publications" and their [fake] magazine called "Golf Lynk."

In an arena where red-flags can sometimes be obvious, First Class Publications seemed to take it up a notch (not in a good way).  

As of the date I'm writing this, their website, www.firstclasspublications.com is still live and accessible.  I would encourage you to look.  

First Class Publication's website explains all about the non-existent company, with made-up portfolios of made-up client work, and even fashions testimonials (bottom of homepage) showcasing made-up individuals, titles and locations.  Seriously, take a look.  It resembles many legitimate sites you’ve visited in the business sector, and raises no red flags upon just looking.  

They approached my client about placing an ad in their 2014 golf magazine (Golf Lynk), giving all the normal ad-space information like reach, demos and size specs.  They include local information, and name specific local country clubs that would be distributing the publication to its visitors in the Colorado Springs and Denver area.    

Unfortunately, my client bought space in the fake 2014 publication.  I was even forwarded an email from their "graphics" department with ad delivery specifications.  All in all, very normal procedure.

The red-flag came when I sent the ad copy and artwork several weeks ago, but received no confirmation of delivery.  Three more emails I sent them were met with silence.   I then called the numbers on the signature lines of their initial emails, as well as the one on their site.  The calls to those numbers forwarded me to an unsuspecting small business in Delaware having nothing to do with the scam.

As Google-ing the specifics of this scam turned up few results, I decided to put this blog out in hopes that others can steer clear of these scams, and the like.  

To your success,

D. Bauer

“I’d like you to meet the ‘Expert’…”

It’s that time of year again.  No, I don’t mean tax time, or Valentine’s.  It’s the time of year when you (if you’re a local business owner or manager) are going to get a call from your local TV, radio, or print rep, telling you they’d like to bring in the "expert.”  They may use ”consultant,” or “guru,” but you’ll know.  It’s the expert.

The first quarter of the year is a planning quarter for many categories of businesses.  A time to unleash the new initiatives, branding, or spend-more-to-grow-more campaigns.  In an attempt to secure the highest percentage of dollars you’re fishing to spend, the outlets fly in their expert, and push all their sales reps [hard] to schedule appointments with you, and their expert.  And guess what?  It’s FREE to you!    

There’s nothing wrong with the expert.  In fact, good ones can deliver helpful bits of information that are not at all bias to the outlet they are hired to sell for.  That’s the hook. 

Over the years, outlets I worked inside brought in a variety of experts from hard sellers, to jingle writers.  A few were fairly insightful, but many were an embarrassment to take out at all, causing me to later call and apologize to valued clients!  But that didn’t stop us from setting up our minimum number of required appointments (set by sales management).  The expert costs the outlets big money to bring in, and more is at stake if they can sell you a big package.

Perhaps you’ve had the meeting with the expert before.  If not, my advice for dealing with the expert: don’t rush to decide, fact check, and shop around.  They are not an unbiased 3^rd party, as the setup suggests.  They may have a long resume of accomplishments and big positions held in the past, but their job is still to sell you on that outlet.  In fact, in many cases, the expert stands to gain a hefty commission from your commitment to the large campaign they are sure to push on you within 2-4 weeks of the initial consultation meeting (aka, needs analysis, time-out call, yada, yada).

The outlets may also change the expert model altogether, and just invite you in for a “FREE seminar,” where they will pose as the expert, and simply pitch you their advertising pieces.  The invite to these usually goes something like: “how to grow in your category,” or “come receive education on SEO” (or some other buzz-worthy word or topic of the time).  This is not sinister by any means.  However, your time is valuable, and the “free” seminar is merely a long-form, often multi-media pitch, where they skim over the topic you thought you were coming for, and sometimes employ pressure tactics to close a deal with you.  I would recommend simply requesting (or have your agency request) the material or packages to go over at your leisure, without all the hype or gimmicks.  The expert is likely a far less wasteful way to spend your time than these seminars.

So, if you desire, meet the expert.  You may get lucky and be presented with some valuable insight or marketing morsels.  However, you might be wise to get an unbiased party to help you with decisions for moving forward with their recommendations, or any advertisement / marketing options.

To your success,

-David Bauer

On Outsourcing: Marketing

A lot of buzz has surrounded the subject of outsourcing, especially since the recession. 

“Should I hire to fill that need, or can it be done just as well (if not better) out of house?”

For so many savvy companies, marketing is a popular and growing area for outsourcing.  In fact, the number of companies partnering with agencies and firms to handle their marketing is growing quickly (source: Mashable).  When you consider the annual median pay for advertising, promotions and marketing managers is over $115,000 annually (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics), and even entry level marketing positions are filled for around $35k per year plus benefits.  That leaves a lot of room for negotiating a comfortable retainer with a reputable agency or firm.   

Besides hiring marketing and advertising representation in-house, the other alternative I’ve found most common is management or ownership taking on the promotions, branding, advertising, design, web, strategy and creative (etc., etc.).  I’ll express my feelings on that with a conversation I had with one of my clients. 

As we were laying out the advertising campaign mix and creative just before launch, I asked my client what he thought.  He grinned and answered:

“I would never have known this could be done so neatly and effectively.  Before I hired Fresh Form, I wore this hat, I met with all the reps and listened to their sales pitches, a.k.a. ‘recommendations,’ from which I had no idea how to choose, or what to believe.  But with everything else going on in my business, I gave marketing 50% of my effort at best.  That’s all I could give.”

Is that you? 

Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at your marketing, promotions, brand image, website and advertising.  The target representing your marketing is a moving one.  Don’t wait to get the help you need, because the hassle of hiring is not your only, or best option anymore.

To your success moving forward in business!

-D. Bauer