SKM Group, Inc.
- Country: United States of America
- City: Depew, New York
- Address: SKM Corporate Square, 6350 Transit Road
- Zipcode: 14043
- Member Since: 1991
- Staff: 38
- Telephone: 716 989 3200
- Website: http://www.skmgroup.com
Locations
- SKM Group Headquarters
Address:
SKM Corporate Square, 6350 Transit Road
Depew, New York 14043
United States of America
Contact: Susan Meany
Email: smeany@skmgroup.com
Phone: 716 989 3200
Fax: 716 989 3220
- SKM Group 2
Address:
5100 N. Tamiami Trail #103
Naples, Florida 31403
United States of America
Contact: Susan Meany
Email: smeany@skmgroup.com
Phone: 941-244-8461
Case Studies
SKM was challenged with generating awareness of this new program, as well as giving the product a brand identity. It was important to define the
main call to action for the Citi Connection for Dentists program while distributing equal exposure to each product line within the program,
without highlighting one more than another. There were a total of six toll-free numbers to drive to on each creative piece, so we needed to educate the customer about each program benefit without confusing them with unnecessary details.
Our challenge was to acquire more small business customers and to cross-sell more products and services to the existing customer base. It was also essential to integrate the direct marketing campaign with the new master brand strategy that was being launched with an aggressive media campaign themed âIdeas for the Way You Live.â In addition, we needed to develop a communication strategy recognizing that small business owners are extremely busy, multitasking people who will not respond to the typical bank mailing or offer.
The first challenge was to excite and encourage TCUâs employees to sell this new product. The second was to communicate the benefits to members and acquire as many new credit cardholders as possible. The third challenge was to develop a campaign that would successfully
launch the product through the use of mail and in-branch signage.
In addition to other large lending institutions, SunTrust faced strong competition from marketing companies promoting the same product but not held to the same standards of full disclosure. This created the impression of complicating the SunTrust product for an audience new to the world of banking and debt. At the same time, the pending rate increase amplified the competitive challenge to stand out in the mail box and capture new loan customers during a frenzy of marketing directed at the target audience. Also, SunTrust Bank was introducing new branding
standards that had yet to be used or tested in any of their marketing efforts. Our challenge was to integrate the new corporate brand with fresh messaging and meet or exceed current control response rates.
SKMâs challenge was to increase our client's exposure in the areas surrounding the schools and target parents of school-aged children. We concluded that Chancellor needed to saturate their markets, build brand, and encourage people to enroll their children in the Chancellor schools for the upcoming year. In order to do this, we utilized a varied cross section of advertising. In addition, we created a positioning statement upon which to base our selling proposition. The corporate theme that was
developed was "Make the Best Decision for Your Child." This allowed us to appeal to the emotions of the parents through an emotionally charged articulation of the brand essence.
In past years, each Chancellor charter school developed their own marketing brochures, mailers and ads with no uniform look or message, no media placement strategy, and no targeted potential student data. This patchwork approach cost each school a substantial sum of money and had minimal success, souring educators on marketing. To ensure that Chancellor met their enrollment goals, they needed a high quality, consistent method to effectively market their schools and they needed to sell it to people whose only experience with advertising had been a bad one. CBA was searching for a solution that would be attractive and affordable for the marketing-shy educators. The SKM Group answered the call.
Alcoa wanted to increase employee awareness of the new Multi-Choice Auto & Home Program and let them know that they had a choice for their auto and home insurance needs. They also wanted to increase the number of insurance policies issued to Alcoa employees.
The first challenge was identifying a need. Since we would be utilizing Sallie Maeâs existing customer database, we needed to segment the list and the message into two groups: homeowners and renters. This allowed us to develop copy that would be appropriate for both audiences. SKM also needed to integrate the personality, character, and integrity of Sallie Maeâs brand. âSallie Mae has unique products and services that are designed to help you. Since each personâs needs may differ, weâve designed products and services to help individuals meet their needs.â
The objective of the campaign was lead generation (from the renters group) and conversion to sales (from the homeowners group).
Many parents choose private schools for their children to cultivate their unique skills in a more intimate, supportive, and nurturing environment. But a private school education comes with a price, and often parents wonder how theyâll pay for it.
SKM Group positioned Sallie Maeâs K-12 Family Education LoanTM as the answer to parentsâ educational financial concerns.
This new product needed a catchy and memorable name, along with a campaign that would make it stand out among the already well-courted world of financial aid officers (FAOâs). FAOâs were accustomed to receiving premiums and incentives to get their attention, and this set up the conundrum of needing to both match the expected incentive to get their attention, yet somehow make the product the hero. The product needed to be presented in a way that would impress the FAOâs and yet be a real, robust offering for their students. Furthermore, the SunTrust sales team needed to realize the value of this product and be excited and eager to make it a priority in their sales calls. Most were already confident in the product offerings they had and some were even skeptical that a new product would be able to compete.
Sky Blue⢠customers are charged an additional 1.8¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) purchased or used. PNM needed to determine who would subscribe to this program and what would prompt them to subscribe. Outside of marketing to the entire customer database, PNM had no way to determine which customers were more likely to purchase the Sky Blue product.
PNM Sky Blue⢠customers are charged an additional 1.8¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) purchased or used. Prior to working with the SKM Group, PNM had marketed this product for three years through a variety of media channels resulting in approximately 5,500 subscriber accounts. In order to learn who would subscribe to this program and what would prompt them to subscribe, we launched a series of initiatives that would allow PNM to build a profile of those customers most likely to participate in the Sky Blue program. Outside of marketing to the entire customer database, PNM had no way to determine which customers were more likely to purchase the Sky Blue product.
Brokerâs perceptions of the mortgage community in Canada are different from the perceptions in the United States. In Canada, brokers are very
serious about their profession and want to be addressed professionally. Language was a challenge since part of the Canadian audience â Quebec â is predominately French-speaking. Provinces also varied in terms of the types of marketing materials that were accepted through the mail and
other mediums. In addition, Canada has a distinct lack of mortgage publications available for brand advertising.
Canadian brokers demand a lender that is credible and reliable. Since InterBay Funding had not yet been lending in the targeted provinces, the company lacked the awareness and credibility other lenders in the area enjoyed.
InterBay wanted to send brokers pre-qualified leads â a lead that is interested in acquiring a small commercial loan. InterBay would then send the leads to brokers while maintaining sensitivity to the fact that brokers are concerned about leads going straight to InterBay.
InterBay offers small commercial loans through a network of brokers. There are alternative lending institutions, so each time a broker closes a loan, he has the ability to go to any lender. Brokers do not work exclusively for â or through â InterBay.
The problem InterBay faced turned out to be the perception held by brokers of the entire small commercial lending industry. After conducting
focus groups, the SKM Group determined the following specific perceptions on small commercial lending:
Brokers do not feel the small commercial loan process is fast or easy. They often received a commercial loan opportunity while working with residential mortgages and refuse to lose the client just because it is a commercial deal.
Brokers want a "partner," or someone they can rely on, to help them sort through the paperwork, answer questions and make the loan process fast and easy.
Brokers feel they canât trust lending institutions because it is perceived that commercial lenders may steal the client and the
commission.
Brokers stressed the need to find an institution they can trust.
In addition to other large lending institutions, SunTrust faced strong competition from marketing companies promoting the same product but not held to the same standards of full disclosure. This created the impression of complicating the SunTrust product for an audience new to the world of banking and debt. At the same time, the pending rate increase amplified the competitive challenge to stand out in the mail box and capture new loan customers during a frenzy of marketing directed at the target audience. Also, SunTrust Bank was introducing new branding
standards that had yet to be used or tested in any of their marketing efforts. Our challenge was to integrate the new corporate brand with fresh messaging and meet or exceed current control response rates.
Canadian brokers demand a lender that is credible and reliable. Since InterBay Funding had not yet been lending in the targeted provinces, the company lacked the awareness and credibility other lenders in the area enjoyed.
Broker�s perceptions of the mortgage community in Canada are different from the perceptions in the United States. In Canada, brokers are very
serious about their profession and want to be addressed professionally. Language was a challenge since part of the Canadian audience � Quebec � is predominately French-speaking. Provinces also varied in terms of the types of marketing materials that were accepted through the mail and
other mediums. In addition, Canada has a distinct lack of mortgage publications available for brand advertising.
Because the Buffalo Niagara region has the highest rate of heart disease and stroke in the country, AHA wanted to educate this population on the facts and statistics and make people aware that any donation will help those affected by heart disease. Due to the fact that there are several walks that take place every year for a variety of causes, the American Heart Association has had trouble adding passion to this cause. AHA set a monetary goal of $400,000 and was hoping to attract 3,000 walkers. In order to reach these high goals, a campaign that would bring emotional attachment and faces and names to heart disease and stroke was needed.
The initial challenges included the following:
Turning the tide of negative perceptions locally, regionally, and nationally.
Reversing market share losses in Western New York.
Educating the various constituencies of RPCIâs legacy of research, exciting new advancements, and exceptionally high level of care.
Rebranding the hospital as a regional and national center of excellence in cancer research, treatment, and prevention.
Overcoming new and increasing levels of competition locally and regionally.
SKM wanted to position this new HMO â Community Blue Advantage â as a viable option to higher cost HMOâs and other health coverage options. The objective of the initial campaign was to generate awareness of the HMO and its benefits.
ESAB needed to re-establish their position in the marketplace, to gain shelf space among key distributors and mindshare among potential purchasers/end-users.
The primary goal for 2004 was to promote attendance by attendees with a vested interest in the exhibiting companies. IMTS also wanted to create an effective and memorable experience so attendees walked away with a feeling that they got everything they wanted out of the show and more, building customer loyalty for future shows. Another goal was to help exhibitors bring their âmost wantedâ prospects to the show by providing easy to use, low-cost promotional programs.
The de-regulated marketplace in New York State was suffering from a general lack of awareness. The public, in many cases, were not aware that they had a choice of energy providers. A host of questions needed to be answered: Who do I call in event of emergency? Can I really save money? SKM needed to create a selling proposition that was both educational and had a strong call to action. We also recognized the fact that once people switched, it would be easy for them to do so again. In addition, while NFR had a strong brand recognition because of their parent company, National Fuel Gas Distribution, they needed their own identity to eliminate any confusion. Many consumers might have chosen not to switch because they believed that they were already NFR customers.
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