Provident Security wins another SAMMY award
After winning a SAMMY for the best Web site design in 2008, Provident Security of Vancouver B.C., Canada, walked away with the recognition for the Best Display Advertisement this year.
Provident has made great strides with its marketing efforts, particularly for not having any brochures, printed sales materials, Yellow Page advertisements, or any other traditional form of advertising.
"All of our marketing is based on creating and maintaing word-of-mouth marketing. With the exception of our door hangers and business cards, Provident does not have any printed materials at all," says President Mike Jagger.
Provident has utilized several nontraditional marketing approaches that are cresting as the new means of advertising. By adoption the use of social media and networking sites such as Twitter and YouTube, Provident has maintained a noticeable presence in its market while spending a minimal amount of money. Its most effective marketing initiative has been the company's five-year-old blog.
"Marketing isn't advertising," says Jagger. "Marketing is absolutely everything about how you do business - how you answer the phone, whether your trucks are clean, how quickly you respond to an alarm, whether invoices are correct, etc."
Because so much of its efforts are online, Provident is able to utilize its time in trying new approaches without worrying about the associated costs. According to Jagger, traditional advertising is both expensive and not nearly as effective as community-based marketing, particularly for small businesses.
"We believe that the word of month is the most powerful motivation for someone to become a Provident client," says Jagger. "As a result, we work really hard to make it easy for other people to tell our story for us, whether through client referrals or maintaing a very strong presence in local media."
