La Crosse County Hazardous Materials Program

1. La Crosse County Hazardous Materials Program Branding in Western Wisconsin

4. Why Branding? • Go beyond the status quo: • Connecting one thought to another. • Strategy – differentiating idea • Message – is your strategy being communicated • Consistency • Frequency (THIS IS BRANDING)

5. What’s Branding? • What Branding IS NOT: • Only about a snazzy logo. • Having a catchy slogan. • Using the same color scheme. • What Branding IS: • Long-term • Complex • Integrated

6. Spending and Results • Annual Budget = $220,000 • Annual Branding Budget = $25,000 • What we get: An average of 25 plays on “classic hits” station per week. And an additional 8 plays on “top 40s” station each Sunday. Year long. • Results: beginning to see increased usage…10% monthly. More talk about the program. Increase in our positive image, both by citizens and governmental leaders. • See other success stories:

7. History of How Family Radio, Inc. Discovered the Value of Branding • 1998 1st Seminar with Roy Williams, trainer and author of the #1 Best Selling Business Book, “The Wizard of Ads” • 1998-1999 Family Radio staff read all Williams’ books. • 1999 Family Radio adopted this long-term campaign approach and involved five new clients who are still branding today. First client: Viterbo University. • 2001 Family Radio designated Theresa Timm as Branding Specialist. Theresa graduated with honors from the Wizard Academy. • 2005 61 Branding Clients have invested over $11 million to brand their businesses and still continue today.

8. Family Radio’sBranding Philosophy • There are only two ways to advertise your company’s business: short term or long term. • The higher pay off comes from a long-term conversation with anyone, your customer or not, who finds your product or service interesting and necessary. • We believe bad marketing anticipates the customer’s moment of need. Good marketing makes sure your business is the name customers remember when their moment of need happens. • Branding is implanting an associative memory into the mind of your customer (or anyone who may some day find themselves in need of becoming your customer). Three keys to insuring that branding occurs: • Consistentlytell people your unique story. • Frequently (day after day) tell people your unique story. • Anchor your message forever in their minds by using an already established emotional appeal that your customer can readily agree to as being true. • Marketing Bridge: Done by the Harvard Business School, these are the business elements constantly in progress that, if not functioning well, will result in determining if your advertising will be successful or not.

9. Family Radio’sTestimonials Viterbo University: Branding Client on Z-93 High end University. Cost is $14,000 per year, with an average of 4 ½ years for completion. We convinced them to try a revolutionary new way to advertise back in 2000. Instead of advertising for four weeks in the spring and fall, at class registration time, we persuaded Viterbo to advertise 52 weeks a year on Z-93 for their Advance Degree program. RESULTS: They had a 605% growth in enrollment in their Advance Degree program in their first year. Total new students: 3,000. It worked, with record sign-ups and record growth in the program three years in a row!

10. Family Radio’sTestimonials Allergy Associates: Branding Client on Z-93, WIZM-AM, & KQ98. PROBLEM / OPPORTUNITY: 90% of their patients came from outside our listening area. Lack of awareness. The clinic was founded in 1970. For over 30 years they have been treating allergy sufferers from all over the country, the average patient driving 206 miles to get to Allergy Associates. Very few from their own backyard knew of them. OBJECTIVE: 15% return on their investment. Average customer worth: $2,600. They have surpassed total investment more than 10 to 1. Started seeing an impact immediately! WEEK TWO: Jeff told us his daughter’s entire school bus sang along with the jingle. MONTH ONE: Their number of website hits skyrocketed. During that time, radio was the only thing that was different. They did not have any articles, press releases, or other media influence. RESULTS: 50% INCREASE in local new patients was attributed to radio. They did only one thing differently over last year: use radio. Local new patients increase is the prime reason total growth is up. Along with a strong increase in new patients, they are also seeing a lot of local past patients returning. Dr. Mary Morris said, “I am seeing a lot of old faces returning.” (Not included in numbers).

11. Family Radio’sTestimonials Lights and Baths Showroom: Branding Client on WIZM-AM Average ticket is $8,000-$15,000. Use to “little bit little bit little bit” their ad budget everywhere. Then concentrated their budget on a 21x per week/52 weeks/year on WIZM-AM and two billboards. CREATIVE: We NEVER advertised product (American Standard) but always promoted WHY shop at Lights and Baths Showroom. We use the last mental image of “Hard to find, but worth it” because it is. PROBLEM / OPPORTUNITY: Their biggest two problems were traffic count (they are the ONLY retail establishment in the industrial park and unless you work in a factory, warehouse, or UPS shipping, you have no idea where they are) and the other was sales growth. RESULTS: They had a 21% increase in year one; 46% increase year two, 74% increase in year three and they are STILL growing sales and traffic count. They only use WIZM-AM and two billboards for their marketing and have been branding since 1999.

12. Family Radio’sTestimonials Mark Jewelers: Branding Client on Z-93 & KCLH-FM. Mark Jewelers is Fine Jewelry – Our client has asked us to not share growth in sales dollars but we can tell you – they have seen ridiculous growth branding on Z-93 and KCLH-FM. RESULTS: They have been branding since 2001 – and just like the Viterbo University study, they grew 44% their first year, doubled that growth in years two, tripled it in year three, and have since opened a new location.

13. Questions • What is La Crosse County’s “differentiating idea”? • What is La Crosse County’s “message”? • Event ads