"Small businesses should think big," advises advertising expert

WATERTOWN, March 20, 2012 – Small businesses should be imaginative and interactive in communicating to prospective customers, says advertising expert Alex Poulos in a commentary published by the MetroWest Daily News of Massachusetts.

In his op-ed, "How small businesses should think big," Poulos said "coupons, contests, comedy" can be very effective in marketing. "In a recession, people look for bargains (sales, coupons), opportunities for risk-free reward (contests, sweepstakes) and escape from all the bad news (entertainment, like humorous videos or online games). It's not enough to offer the best product at the most competitive price; you need to entice.

"Small businesses have trouble competing with firms that have big ad budgets, but there is no limit to the imagination. If you brainstorm about your unique advantages and how they might be creatively presented, you should come up with innovative ways to woo, wow and win customers. The trick is to first schedule time for the brainstorming, find the right brains to strategize with, and define the parameters within which you must operate (time, money, people, and brand)."

Poulos is president of LaunchPad Media, an interactive creative agency in Greater Boston.

Last year he wrote a Boston Globe op-ed about advertising. In "Mad Men of the Future" he predicted four trends – ads would become more intrusive, invasive, integrated and interactive.

For a popular Boston ad blog, "The Boston Egotist," Poulos examined "Egotism in Advertising." He explained how egotism can both help and hurt in the advertising business.

On the LaunchPad website, Poulos offers communications advice in blog columns, including: "Should you change your website?", "Writing for the web", "Recession-proof your marketing" and "Brainstorming about Brainstorming: How to inspire creative collaboration." Recently he provided insights on conceiving a catchy tagline, "Brainstorming Ad Slogans."

Alex Poulos is President and Executive Producer at LaunchPad Media. He directs a staff of producers, designers, programmers, videographers, and marketing research specialists. He was named one of the top 30 Producers in the United States by Audio/Visual Magazine

LaunchPad clients include Liberty Mutual, Vlasic, Hungry-Man, Armour-Star, SeniorLink, Pinnacle Foods Group, The Schwartz Center, Abbott Point of Care, and Promotion In Motion.

ABOUT LAUNCHPAD MEDIA: LaunchPad Media is a creative agency specializing in website, video, live event, and advertising production. Headquartered near Boston, LaunchPad creates high-impact, cost-effective marketing tools for clients throughout the U.S.

Web site: www.launchpad.tv

SOURCE LaunchPad Media