Source: Mobile Marketer – Software and technology.

KFC used a QR Code to drive traffic for their current sweepstakes promo. KFC placed QR codes on its soft drink cups to engage consumers and let them enter for a chance to win hourly prizes.

KFC QR Code on Drink Cup (Source: Mobile Marketer)

This is an example of something that the Bellandi Group Team can help you with. Through our partnership with QRlette, a start-up company and a member of Springs Startup, right here in Colorado Springs, we can help you use Dynamic QR Codes as part of your marketing campaigns. QRlette codes can drive your customers to custom landing pages, signup forms, webpages, surveys, etc., all without having to reprint or change your QR code. One code per campaign can do it all!!

Contact Us if you would like to learn more.

The Bellandi Group has been around for quite some time and so has our website so comments have piled up. Comments on our website have always been welcome, but in times of heavy business volume, it is often the case that “the cobbler’s son has no shoes.” While we deliver hyper-focused service to our many clients, that sometimes leaves us no time to tend to our own marketing.

I came onboard with The Bellandi Group as Director of Marketing (including acting as Director of Business Development for Colorado Springs Marketing Group) in January. I have a lot of experience with addressing SPAM issues, including understanding email deliverability and relevancy issues. Since I started, I have also taken on addressing the “Comment SPAM” issues on our own websites.

I noticed there were a lot of SPAM comments and began the process of removing them. The very first thing I did was install a plug-in for our WordPress site called Spam Free for WordPress by Todd Lahman. I use it on my own project website, a Colorado-based indie start-up online game called Planet Postmoderna. It works really well. I know that there are others out there but I have been pretty happy with the results of Spam Free. The plug-in helps block a high percentage (near 100%) of SPAM Comments which are always an issue for every WordPress site. In addition to installing the plug-in, I have started removing the comments manually.

As a marketing organization, we understand how difficult it is to be appropriate about communications and dealing with Comment SPAM within our own infrastructure. The article on The Independent Blog is well-synced with our efforts and very timely. Again, we appreciate their mentioning the issue, but know we are addressing it. We want everyone who has read the article to know that we, as an organization, have taken steps to address the issue of Website Blog SPAM Comments.

Alan D Morgan
Director of Marketing
The Bellandi Group

Promote your business with dynamic QR Codes!

Did you know that businesses all over the globe are using QR (quick response) codes like the one below to drive current customers and prospects to all kinds of promotions? Some clients are using them to gain and increase Facebook Fans, promote new food and drink items, for promotions and discounts, getting customers to their web sites, and much, much more.

For example our partner company, Qrlette is offering an introductory QR code for free so you can test out this dynamic new technology for your own business. For example, if you scan the below code more than once, you will be see an additional set of marketing links/destinations as part of our demo Bellandi Group QRLette Campaign.

This featured intro campaign gives you the ability to drive customers to 5 different links (marketing areas: web, facebook, menu,etc.) with only one QR code and single campaign you can implement over time.

Scan the image below and see how a Dynamic QR Code works. Each time you scan it, you will see a different page.

Contact us if you would like more info.

1)      What is your ROI? Have you closed leads from this venue in the past? If you have good results, renew. If you have no past results to review, create some for this year, and track them.

2)      Coordinate a complete campaign for the event that will deliver your message and engage your prospects. Make sure the content from your sessions (if you have some) encourage people to stop by the booth next to see more, and at the booth talk about the sessions and cross promote.

3)      Tweet! Tweeting is a great FREE way to highlight things at the event for attendees you don’t want them to miss, and get great content out to prospects and customers who did not make the show.

4)      USE your CRM or SFA tool! If you don’t have a Customer Relationship Management or a Sales Force Automation tool, GET ONE today!!! These tools today are a “must have” for sales people and the only way to measure if your marketing is working, or NOT working. Top “Social CRM” on the market today is www.nimble.com , Top “SFA” is www.netsuite.com , and Top “Free” starter (not long term solution but a baby step with no out of pocket dollars) is www.zoho.com.

• How do I get my target audience’s attention?
• What launch materials do I need?
• What should I do with my website?
• What marketing mix do I use?
• What is the predicted ROI on my investment?
• How can I quickly convert prospect interest to sales?

At Bellandi Group, we realize that no one web designer can appeal to every potential customer. So we have brought together a collection of designers and developers to give you a choice.

For large websites that require a robust back end and high page count, we recommend Winn, our expert on Drupal website design.  Some of his sites are illustrated here:

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For small to medium sites, we have a number of web designers and developers (Eric, Jenna, Samantha, Dave) that can design sites around HTML, CSS, Flash or WordPress. WordPress examples are shown here:

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We differentiate ourselves from other firms in the Springs in that we put out a high quality website for a competitive price. Our integrated marketing team and local marketing office allows for you to add additional services over time such as Search Engine Optimization, Content Development, Public Relations, Search Engine Marketing, etc, without having to change agencies.

Come in and talk to us, or attend one of our Business Challenge Tuesdays, a free hour to tell us about your business and receive ideas and quotes from over 10 consultants. It includes lunch as well.

In looking at its choices, Agilent chose Bellandi Group – not only because of its history with the show, but also because of the innovative and ownership Bellandi Group brings to its success.

Bellandi Group supplied Event leadership with Ami Heath, a Director who has managed upwards of 250 events per year, to help them manage the show. Ami brought in I Was There technology to help get merchants participating in exposing the events and offering giveaways.

In addition, Bellandi Group supplied an event PR program, an on-site event management staff and and full campaign to promote the event and its participating product lines.

Bellandi Group excels at taking the disciplines of design, marcom, PR, social networking and event management and merging them together in a manner that drives results. Contact Ami for more examples in event management: Ami@BellandiGroup.com.

During these 11 years, Dirk got to know  the needs and frustrations of physicians well. He saw that they did not necessary like the business aspect of their profession while they loved helping patients manage their health.

This lead Dirk to pinpoint two areas to help physicians with:

1. Giving them both tools and knowledge to enable them to better manage their practice
2. Giving them better market presence and awareness by creating a consumer-facing website that had a robust directory of physicians along with articles and service provider information.

Medical Voyce needed a marketing service firm that could help them craft a website that could handle a fairly complex directory, be based on a content management system (CMS) that allowed for easy information updates and still be cost effective.

Bellandi Group addressed this need by creating the site around Drupal, a powerful open-source CMS that integrated the look and feel of Bellandi Group creative designers with a complex back end directory.

The site has received lots of great feedback from healthcare consumers, was featured in KKTV commercials and has grown steadily in traffic. See Medical Voyce website.

Talk to us about our Drupal and WordPress website design capabilities.

• Go to www.google.com
• Find your Google places listing. This can be done a number of ways. This particular client owned a Bistro in Manitou Springs; so, I Googled “Bistro Manitou springs” and PJ’s Bistro Manitou Springs popped up (AMAZING food, Bear (the chef) is always cooking up things that make you grateful you have taste buds).
• Click on the red dot. Your Google place will appear
• On the far right corner of the listing there is a “More” option with an arrow; click the arrow
• Click “Edit details”
• Fill in ALL of the information, including your main email address, and submit
• You will receive a letter in the mail with a code and the directions that will allow you to “validate” you as you, so to speak, as well as directions on how to maintain your listing going forward.

Make sure your information online today is correct so your clients can find you. Talk to Ami for more details.

Some of the larger ones simply came in much too high on their pricing. Other agencies, were too narrowly focused, just concentrating on Internet Marketing or on Branding and Design.

The Mining Exchange ended up selecting Bellandi Group because it was able to address their needs for Advertising, PR, Internet Marketing, Design and Printing all under one roof and for a cost-effective price.

The first deliverable was an ad placed at the Women’s Open at the Broadmoor that delivered a large quantity of leads and a high degree of awareness.

Bellandi Group continues to plan with The Mining Exchange how to best launch effective local marketing campaigns to compliment the excellent corporate marketing of Wyndham.