How to Choose the Perfect Catering Service for Your Event

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Catering Service|How to Choose the Perfect Catering Service for Your EventThe way to one’s heart is via their stomach. Truer words have never been spoken. Whether you are a 4-year-old, a teenager or a young adult, we all love food. Food is art. It is passion. It is determination. You see it only as sustenance but it is so much more than that. Food speaks so many different stories for everybody. A bowl of chicken soup might just be soup for you but it can be so much more than that for someone else. It can be the last meal they had with their grandmother. It can be a highly cherished memory for someone else.

Food speaks a language of love. It joins so many different cultures and traditions. It brings people closer. So many memories are shared and made on dinner tables daily. From holiday food to broths made when you were sick, food is so much more than what we see it be. Creating a dish requires love and respect and making food teaches us that.

It teaches us patience when our stew won’t boil, it teaches us determination when our bread dough won’t rise and we have to make a new one.

Food is a string that holds each of us together. Thus, what you serve at an event is of utmost importance. You want to be remembered by the delicious food you got prepared for. You need to have the perfect catering services to do so.
Here’s how to choose the perfect catering service for your event:

Set apart a budget

Hosting an event can be a little heavy on the pocket. There are so many minute details you need to be careful about. So much research needs to be put into your venture and you need to be practical about your ideas. Thus, you need to set apart a budget for your catering service.

Catering services are big business. You will find a lot of variations. You will have to face too many options and would have to make too many choices. Naturally, you would have a range of prices too to choose from. From over the top expensive to budget-friendly, each package would offer you something else. Thus, by putting aside a budget for your catering company, you would be able to narrow down your search pertaining to the amount you have. It would be easier for you to find the perfect catering company for your event by researching what company is able to give you maximum perks for your amount. Find a good combination of quality and price and make a decision.

Know your venue

When you start planning an event, one of the first decisions you have to make is that of the venue. Be it a farewell party, a birthday, a bridal shower or a baby shower. Where it is going to take place is always of utmost importance. You need to choose a place that is environment-friendly and also picture perfect for those candid shots. Planning an event is like a domino effect. Each decision helps you make the next one.

Once you settle upon a venue, it becomes easier for you to arrange a catering company. How do you ask? Well, most of the party venues are prepared for their clients. Thus, they themselves have a list of recommended catering services prepared for you beforehand. They might create a shortlisted version for you of the top choices for catering services.

They would give you suggestions and also help you stick with your budget. They might also collaborate with the said services and come up with different deals for the clientele.

You might get a discounted price and some great perks. Taking help from their list reduces the chances of something going wrong. As they are much more experienced, you can take their word for it and choose a catering service from their recommended list of services.

Know the menu

Like I said, domino effect. There are some pivotal choices that you need to have made in the initial stages of your event planning. Amongst these choices is that of the menu. Now, this is a tough one. To decide upon a perfect menu, you need to know the company you are going to have and coordinate it with the event you are going to host. You need to have fun fast food and snacks if it is a birthday, formal cuisine with sushi etcetera if it is a business event.

You need to know the dislikes and likes of your company and also their allergies. You need to serve something that would be edgy but not something too unique. You also need to decide upon what service you are going to go for; table, reception or buffet.

When you decide upon the perfect menu and service, you need to find a catering service that specializes in your said choice. You need to find a highly experienced company that would assure you positive results.

Choose an experienced team

When you plan an event, you have a vision. You have a very specific outlook of it all in your mind. You are very particular about what you want and want everything to be perfect. Thus, you need as much professional help as you can get.

You need an experienced catering service that would give your vision life and do justice to it. You need your catering service to have polished skills and be perfect at what they do. You need them to be adaptable to any last-minute changes. An event can never be fully planned. A lot of changes might need to take place at the 11th hour and you would have to make rash decisions. Thus, you need a team that is adaptable. You want them to have solutions to whatever problem they might be facing and you want them to be fully prepared. Thus, choose an experienced catering service to fulfill your dreams and fantasies.

Conclusion

Planning an event is no easy task. It requires months of hard work and planning. Whether the event is for you or you a friend. A daughter or a sister. You need to provide them with the best of the best. You need to be a wonderful host and an amazing party planner. It takes a village. Thus, finding the perfect catering service is pivotal. Know what you want and explain it to your chosen service. Help them help you and work as a team. Together, you can bring the vision you had to live. Good luck!

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Five practical tips to engage your audience at conference presentation

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Presentation Tips|Five practical tips to engage your audience at conference presentationGiving a presentation at a conference is a massive opportunity. It is the chance to share an idea with the world, convince peers about your ideas, and help to make your industry more efficient and effective at what it does. And from a personal perspective it can provide a fantastic chance for presenters to get immediate input and feedback from real people.

Unfortunately, there is a problem – it’s not always easy to keep your audience engaged with what you are talking about. Four out of five professionals said that their focus shifted away from the presenter at the last presentation that they attended.

And given how important it is to keep your audience engaged with what you are talking about, losing their attention is a nightmare from a presenter’s perspective. So, it is vital that you do everything you can to make your presentation as engaging to the audience as possible. Here we present five practical tips that you can use during your next presentation to keep your audience engaged.

1. Be confident

There is nothing that turns off and disengages an audience more than listening to someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about. And even if it is the case that you are an expert in the topic – you’ll come across as a novice if you don’t have confidence in what you are saying. When you are confident about yourself, you inspire others to have confidence in you.

There is plenty you can do to improve your confidence on stage, but of course the major key is to really know your topic inside-out.

Preparing a good presentation is essential when trying to sell a product, pitch an idea, or get your point across. First impressions matter and you want to ensure that you’re coming across as confident and professional. Consider hiring a professional business presentation coach who can help you fine-tune your delivery, choose the right visuals, and make sure that your overall message is clear and concise.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Presentation Tips|Five practical tips to engage your audience at conference presentation2. Make your audience a part of the presentation

When your audience feels like they are a part of the presentation it actually increases their attention span and helps to keep them engaged.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to use an audience response system – this is a set of keypads that can be handed out to audience members. The audience can then use these remotes during the presentation to answer questions. You can then show polls in real time, or even keep them interested by grading them at the end of the talk.

You might worry about the cost or the technical challenges in incorporating this sort of system into your talk – but actually, it’s very easy. It is even possible to hire a system for a single presentation – which is ideal if you don’t attend many conferences.

3. Make your talk natural

Any decent advice on giving a conference presentation will tell you to get plenty of practice giving your talk. And of course, it is vital that remember all your key details and statistics, and that the presentation flows nicely. However, over-practicing your talk can present problems too – notably it can leave the talk feeling stiff and over-rehearsed.

Your talk shouldn’t sound like you are reading from a script, it should come across as natural and sound like a human is talking.


4. Avoid jargon wherever possible

One major engagement problem for engagement is the temptation to add jargon. Industry jargon naturally shows off your knowledge of the field and helps to display to your audience that you understand what you are talking about. But it can also be an issue in that you go overboard, and people won’t understand the points you are making.

Overusing industry terms and acronyms can be a problem, especially if they are not quite as commonly understood as you think. It is much better to allow all members of the audience to understand you.

5. Get your slides right

Your slideshow is a massive part of your presentation, so it vital that you get it right. Thankfully there are some simple things that every presenter should be doing to ensure that their slides are as simple and audience friendly as possible.

Firstly, you need to make sure you are only presenting one idea per slide – overcomplicating slides just confuses audiences. Additionally, you should ensure there are not too many words on the screen at any time; the slides are not there to be an exact replication of what you are saying, they are there to emphasise points.

Learn from the Best: 5 of the Best Marketing Campaigns in History

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Best Marketing Campaigns|Learn from the Best: 5 of the Best Marketing Campaigns in HistoryThere are certain things that stick in our memories and sometimes we don’t even know where they came from. Maybe we don’t even how we remember but they stick with us.

Many of the best marketing campaigns have had a similar effect on us. Sometimes, their effect can be so profound that it seemed ingrained into our culture. Aside from memorable, however, the best ad campaigns can make us feel a certain way or inspire us.

We took a look at some of the most famous ad campaigns in history. Check out this list of the most iconic ones.

How to Sell

When a company wants to boost its sales, it might be a good idea to invest in an advertising campaign. This can be effective for a number of reasons. Weber Associates are a trusted name in advertising and can take your company to the next level.

First, it exposes the product or service to a wider audience. People who may have never heard of the product can now be familiar with it.

Also, people may be aware of the product but might not know why yours is superior. Finally, radio, tv, and digital marketing campaigns have a way of getting into our subconscious. Then, we tend to think of the given product automatically in certain situations.

The Top 5 Best Marketing Campaigns

Experts from marketing companies estimate that most Americans see at least four to ten thousand ads per day.
According to the researchers, we have a way to turn a blind eye to most of this bombardment.

However, there are a few TV and digital marketing examples that stick out. Here are our top five campaigns.

1. The Most Interesting Man in the World

He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does he choose a nice, cold bottle of Dos Equis. He is an older, suave gentleman having the time of his life.

The commercials are funny and truly revived the Mexican beer company.

2. Every Kiss Begins with Kay

There are a number of classic jewelry ads (he went to Jared) that come to mind. Who doesn’t want a big diamond ring?

The slogan is clever and catchy enough that you can probably hear in it your head if you try.

3. Got Milk?

This is a classic campaign that has been remade time and time again but never seems to get old.
Basically, you just get a celebrity to make a milk moustache and have them say “got milk?”. Easy as that!

4. Got Lyft?

The rideshare giant, Lyft, can be credited for launching an ongoing digital campaign that has been extremely successful. They were able to identify growing distrust for Uber and stepped up.

They were able to market themselves as being more socially conscious. Also, their use of incentives to get riders to bring new riders and drivers in was masterful.

5. In Elon We Trust

Elon Musk is the eccentric billionaire CEO of Tesla. They are most known for their electric cars but are masters of marketing.

They created a live stream event for SpaceX, in which they launched a rocket into outer space.

Get The Word Out

There are plenty of examples of great ad campaigns. The best digital marketing campaigns can influence behavior and give your company a massive boost.

If you own a business, consider consulting with the experts. Give the message out and enjoy the rewards.

Five Reasons Why Market Research is Necessary for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Market Research|Five Reasons Why Market Research is Necessary for Your BusinessYou must have heard of a market research agency that examines factors that can affect your sales. This makes you wonder why it is crucial to carry out market research in the first place. And how does your business benefit from such an analysis?

Market research is an essential aspect of running any business either when it is being established, or when a running company is seeking ways to beat its competitors. The results of the research offer you the required data which can be utilized for making useful commercial decisions in the future.

In the article below, we will discuss some critical reasons why market research is necessary for any business.

1. Offers Better Understanding of Your Niche Customer Base

There are many questions on which your entire business, its revenue, and eventual profitability hinges:

  1. Who is the buyer of your product/service?
  2. What is the frequency of your product sale?
  3. What kind of people constitutes your niche market?
  4. Do they have a specific requirement that is fulfilled by your product/service?
  5. Are there any substitutes for your product?

Many such questions form the backbone of your entire planning, production, and sales strategy. If you can answer these questions correctly, you will have a much better understanding of your own business, the demand for your product, and how you can run your business successfully.

With the help of market research, you can not only figure out your niche market, but you can also pin down your specific customers.

Once you have mapped out the profile of niche customer, you will be able to identify the actual size of your market correctly. You will also get to know why and when people will buy your product/service.

Moreover, you will be able to understand the demographics of your niche market. It will enable you to plan and develop rewarding campaigns in the future.

2. Offers Knowledge Regarding your Competitors

Competitors can chip away at your niche market, and decrease your sales. It usually happens because they carry out market research before you do.

To remain in the market, you also need to carry out research and beat your competitors at their own game. Market research assists you in identifying how many players are there, and which ones are winners. It also allows you to find out your weaknesses, and even that of your competitors. But, most of all, you will get to know what your successful competitors are doing to attract the customers towards themselves. This knowledge can be used for updating your own product/service and your overall business dealings. Knowing your competitors is a crucial aspect of running a successful business, and thorough market research allows you to remain informed about your customers at all times.

3. Offers Product Knowledge

Of course, all the fuss is about sales, and sales are based on your product. Market research is a must before you launch your product. The market research carried out before the formal launch of your product, should let you know about its existing demand. You should also know its exact cost as well as the estimated revenue that you will be generating through the sales of this product.

If you have thoroughly carried out your market research, you will be able to make the wisest business decisions. This research will also refrain you from incurring unnecessary costs on a product, or producing something that has minimal demand. There is no guaranteeing the success of your product before it has been introduced into the market. But, there are ways through which you can be reasonably sure about its future. The market research allows you to understand the dynamics of the market you have chosen to enter, and whether your product has a future in it.

4. Offers Unexpected Opportunities

Like in every other thing in life, change is inevitable in business. And the ones that can manage this change can survive the market. Everyone must have heard about Kodak. It used to be a giant in the camera film industry. When the time of digital cameras was arriving, the company was advised to switch towards this new phenomenon, but the owners of the business refused to change their course and continued making camera films.

Eventually, other companies that were making digital cameras beat this giant and grabbed its market shares with the help of technologically advanced products. Another example is Netflix. This video-streaming giant grabbed the opportunity presented by the advent of the internet and grabbed the video-rental market.

If you are conducting regular market research, you will be able to seize all those opportunities that open in the market due to a change in public preferences, the introduction of a new product, or merely a technological advancement.

5. Offers Opportunities for Business Expansion

Market research allows you to help you understand the changing preferences of the customers and makes necessary amendments in your product merely satisfy these demands. You also get to know if there are opportunities for expansion within your niche market.

Business owners can keep track of their competitors, create and develop objective-based marketing campaigns, and take advantage of the changing market dynamics.

Another great advantage of carrying out regular market research is that you can take stock of all problems before they even occur. It offers an opportunity to either mitigate them before they occur or solve them as soon as they pop up.

The Final Word

Research allows business owners to obtain insight into the dynamics of your niche market and identify the needs of your existing and prospective customers.

It also allows you to run cost-effective operations that affect your bottom-line profitability.
Carrying out regular market research is imperative for running a profitable business, that is why every expert in this field recommends it.

Things to consider before choosing the best PR agency

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |PR Agency|Things to consider before choosing the best PR agencyBill Gates once said, “If I had just one dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” Well, what are the odds of that happening? But in this statement, we clearly understand the importance of Public Relations.

They are an essential tool to manage the communication between a company and society to build and maintain it’s a representative and positive image.

A company makes use of public relations through a set of strategic communication actions. They coordinate to create and strengthen links with the public and consumers. The top-ranking PR Agency in Sydney uses informative feedback to achieve fidelity with their clients.

The job of any PR agency is to assess consumer behavior, categorize company policies, and plan future actions. You need to make sure that the agency you are choosing for your business has these qualities:

Experience of the agency in the sector

Experience has undoubtedly been the most cited quality. You have to look mainly at the experience, not only of the agency but of the team that will take care of your account. Specialization in specific markets is almost always a guarantee of success.

Must have oomph

Pay attention to the kind of work the agency does. Excessive experience can cause the agency to fall into routines, to do the same thing for every business they manage. Make sure your business does not lose its uniqueness as it will cause your public image to lose freshness and originality.

A stable client portfolio

Isn’t it strange that certain agencies lose clients very quickly? You don’t want any unpleasant surprises. Excessive customer turnover can be a reasonable indication of poor operation. On the contrary, other agencies have a very high level of loyalty with their client portfolio, with whom they have been working for many years.

Investigate the results with other clients.

It is a piece of straightforward advice that many forget. It is essential to ask the agency what were the results of the campaigns they had done for clients similar to your company. Some agencies continue to live from the fame achieved in other times when, at present, their level of competence is well below. Don’t forget this recommendation: ask other clients of the agency to assess their satisfaction with it. It doesn’t cost money and can save a lot of trouble.

A qualified team

Some clients complain that after the initial phase in which top executives of the agency serve them, they are then ‘abandoned’ in the hands of less experienced professionals. You need to make sure experienced professionals manage your business. Having new agents maintain your work who are not familiar with the challenges businesses face may harm your company.

The price

Especially in the current crisis, this factor takes on a unique role. You may find a cheaper company more attractive at the beginning of your business, but this is a recipe for disaster. The quality of the PR Agency should not be compromised, as it is critical to your business.

Local or International

You need to ask this question as to what is best for your business. Will a multinational agency understand your business better or a local agency? A specialized agency that will appreciate your business or one that provides integrated communication services? And concerning size, what will be most effective for your company: a large, medium or small agency?

Know what your PR agency should do for you

You need to understand the responsibilities public relations agency has towards you. Their work is not just limited to the management of events or to communicate the news or changes that your company has.

When a company, from any industry, suffers a crisis, it is essential to know how to handle it and communicate what is necessary with the public. Not managing the business crisis correctly, can make it unfavorable for the company, which can even damage its image and reputation.

What is it that makes your business unique? Why are your customers loyal to you? What are the KPIs of your business which attract clientele? Identify and highlight the differentiators between you and competitor companies.

These key factors place public relations agencies in one of the marketing investment items each year. In 2016, revenues from employing PR services accounted for nearly $ 14 billion worldwide, according to data from the University of Southern California.

A great PR strategy

Your chosen PR agency must not be all words and no work. Make sure they understand your vision and share it while managing your business. Establish a realistic work plan which profits your company. Primarily your public relations strategy should stand out. Describe communication objectives and actions that propel your company towards success.

Through the right approach, a company can create a close relationship with its target so that the company becomes a reference for the product or service it offers.

All great companies have a PR agency. Managing public relations is a fundamental part of preserving the right image of the company.

With the market as competitive and broad as the current one, many companies are selling similar services and products. To maintain credibility and loyalty with customers, you need a good public relations strategy to position ourselves in the mind of the consumer.

Crisis Management Strategies

Sometimes an organization or company is suffering a disastrous event that affects its public image. Public relations should repair the damage to the image, and communicate how they will devise strategies to solve the problems.

Final Words

Make sure the PR agency you choose knows the latest trends and uses social networking as a tool for your business. In the 21st century, you cannot make public relations with models of the previous century. Pay close attention to how influencers, bloggers, tweets, social networks can affect your business.