Expert Says Pet Industry Needs to Rethink Marketing and Customer Management

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 12, 2010 -
As competition for business and customer loyalty increases, many pet industry professionals are finding that traditional marketing tactics just don’t cut it. Guerrilla marketing (unconventional, creative marketing using minimal resources) can help.

Pet industry expert and Guerrilla Marketing Coach Vicki Lynne Morgan will share advice and experiences regarding both guerrilla marketing and customer experience management at the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) Annual Conference and Small Business Forum, January 21-23, at the Regal Sun Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Morgan says, “Instead of relying on big marketing budgets, tomorrow’s success lies in a 360 degree approach using a customer focus, technology, and a guerrilla state of mind. For the past 30 years, I’ve enjoyed success as a manufacturer’s representative, speaker, and entrepreneur in the pet, sales, and marketing industries. I’ve ‘been there, done that’ -- and I can help those struggling to find what works.”

Morgan’s first scheduled presentation, entitled “Guerrilla Marketing: Big Marketing on a Small Budget,” is targeted at professionals looking to improve revenue and overall profitability without spending a bundle. She will share unconventional small-business marketing tips that can be implemented right away. She will also distribute a list of 100 marketing ‘weapons’ (half which are free), a marketing IQ self-assessment, and a marketing plan template to jumpstart new marketing programs.

Her second presentation, entitled “Customer Experience Management: Your Strategic Plan for Repeat and Referral Business” debunks the “build-it-and-they-will-come” concept. According to Morgan, “The ‘field of dreams’ no longer works in our competitive economy. You need to entice customers to buy over and over again with an extraordinary, rewarding experience.”

Morgan will describe 5 full-circle™ strategies that can serve as the foundation for a customized customer experience management program. Applying these strategies to a customer service program can help companies to sustain loyal business and profitability for a lifetime.

Conference details can be found at http://www.petsitters.org.

About Vicki Lynne Morgan
Morgan, of Califon, NJ, began her career in sales in the 1970s as the first women selling for Xerox. In 1976, she and a partner founded ANIMAL BRANDS®, the first woman-owned manufacturing representation agency in the pet supply industry. She now owns the company with her husband, Jim Morgan.

Serving the pet industry since 1976, ANIMAL BRANDS is a dynamic, independent manufacturers' marketing, sales representation, and consulting agency dedicated exclusively to the pet industry. The Morgans have represented 100 pet brands, including Jones Natural Chews, Safe Paw Ice Melter, The Kong Company, Cardinal Laboratories, Pet Factory, and Weaver Leather. Animal Brands customizes its professional marketing, territory management, customer relationship management programs, and synergistic sales approach to position manufacturers of companion animal products to achieve their sales goals.

In addition to her work with ANIMAL BRANDS, Morgan teaches marketing and sales at several New Jersey community colleges. She is also a counselor for the New Jersey Small Business Development Center. Beginning on January 26, Morgan will also host a series of webinars focused on marketing strategies. Further information can be found at http://www.animalbrands.com.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/10465982/1