You’ve heard of Speed Dating but now it’s Speed Networking. If you are looking for a fun, exciting and fast-paced business networking experience, the Lake Communicators presents a Members Only Networking Madness luncheon. The luncheon will be held Oct. 10 at the Comfort Inn & Conference Center, 7701 Reynolds Road in Mentor, from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Networking Madness is an ideal event for all members who are looking to grow their business through referrals and create strong business contacts. In addition to providing quality networking time, those attending the luncheon will have the opportunity to present a two- to three-minute advertorial.

The members-only luncheon provides an opportunity to interact and connect with other Lake Communicator’s members and discover what new projects they are working on.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our members to inform each other about our businesses and how we can benefit each other,” said Judy Cerne, president/CEO of McKinney Advertising & Public Relations and Lake Communicators vice president.

Reservations for the Networking Madness luncheon are required by Oct. 5 by calling Diana Lewis at 440/255-8932 or sending an e-mail to wolfeshirley@yahoo.com. Cost is $13 for members.

Nancy Valent

The Lake Communicators annual Apex Awards will be presented Nov. 8 during a luncheon at Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites - LaMalfa Centre in Mentor, coinciding with the Lake County Business Expo.

For the first time, winning work will be on display during the Lake County Business Expo and also featured in the Lakeland Community College gallery from Nov. 15 through Dec. 9.

“We really want to showcase the amazing talent in Lake County,” said Tom Ruffner, chair of the Apex committee. “This is an opportunity for freelancers, small businesses and large corporations in our community to display their talent.”

Nancy Valent, NMV Strategies, LLC, will speak about “Protecting Your Image and Your Brand.” She provides consultation in marketing, branding, communications and public relations challenges for companies seeking to build, manage and/or recapture their industry leadership positions.

When she was at Avery Dennison, a multibillion-dollar corporation, Valent spearheaded the brand development campaign for North and South America. Most recently she was chief marketing officer for Proforma, a 600-office international franchise organization.

She also has lived through the handling of plant explosions, chemical spills, gas leaks, company espionage and disgruntled employees and helped companies weather the media frenzy

without compromise. She has trained more than 100 executives and middle managers in critical steps to take when a crisis develops and the reporters are knocking on the door.

Lake Communicators has expanded its scholarship program this year to include high school and college student Apex Awards winners. Student entries will be judged against other student work.

In addition to recognition during the luncheon, the Best of Show winners in both high school and college will receive a monetary scholarship to help further their talent.

“We reopened the Apex Awards to students for a number of reasons, mainly to show them great marketing in their own community and to encourage them to develop their early talent,” Ruffner said.

This year the committee received 125 professional and student entries, which were judged by an impartial group of marketing professionals.

The event is open to the public. “We encourage everyone to come and see the brilliant marketing communications taking place in our community and hope it inspires others to enter next year,” Ruffner said.

A printed booklet of winning entries will be available at the awards luncheon. To reserve your tickets for the Apex Awards luncheon presentation or learn more, call Tom Ruffner at 216-797-0545 or visit the Lake Communicators Web site at www.lakecommunicators.com.

NetConnect, a countywide networking event presented by the DIBS (Downsized into Business Start-Up) group, will be held from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Kirtlander Party Center, 9270 Chillicothe Road, Kirtland.

Designed to provide numerous networking opportunities, NetConnect participants will also learn key techniques from guest speaker Wendy Schwarz, known as the Goddess of Networking.

John Bertosa, business editor at The News-Herald, and Laura Freeman, editor of The Lake County Business Journal, will share tips on using

It’s relevant. It’s influential. It’s accountable. It’s print…the number one medium preferred by buyers and advertisers everywhere. Ask leading advertisers why they prefer print and they’ll likely mention many or all of the reasons below.

1. A Remarkable ROI… Regardless of the study, the ROI is impressive. One study found that the marginal ROI for publication advertising was as high as $19.97. The average ROI across all brands studies was $9.80. Another study titled, “Sales Uncovered,” revealed an average 12-month ROI for publications of $4.67 across 20 different product categories. Print pays big dividends.

2. Print Sells… Publications contribute to the buyer’s intention to purchase a product more so than do other major media. The “Sales Uncovered” study revealed an average 11.6 percent rise in sales volume attributed directly to publication advertising. A series of studies conducted by Dynamic Logic found that publications also excelled at increasing purchase intent. The impact of publications on the buyer’s intent to purchase a product was about twice that of all other advertising combined including the Internet.

3. Advertising That’s Accepted… Print is more than simply accepted, it’s preferred. Buyers actually prefer and enjoy the advertising content as much as they do the editorial. Six out of 10 buyers have a positive attitude toward publication advertising, more so than do for any other medium including the Internet. Buyers accept the advertising and want it to stay. A Yankelovich Omniplus study asked buyers in what media they would support eliminating advertising. Print had the fewest respondents of six major media including the Internet.

4. Buyers Believe… They believe what they read in the editorial and that credibility extends to what they read in the advertising pages. Three time as many adults trust publication advertising as to Internet ads. A Beta Research study found that adults prefer that publications carry ads and 60 percent believe the ads depict product of high quality.

5. Favoritism… Print builds a direct relationship

between the buyer and the advertiser. Nine out of them buyers feel good about companies that advertise through print and 88 percent say they are more likely to consider the advertiser’s products. More than half of buyers surveyed claim that they have more favorable opinions of an advertiser after viewing a specific ad.

6. Action, Action, Action… The vast majority of buyers take direct action after being exposed to print advertising. Virtually every buyer took action as a direct result of exposure to advertising over the past six months. More than half claim they took some action after exposure to a specific printed. Print generates actions that result in more sales.

7. Internet Influence… Print enhances your Web strategy and actually generates more online inquiries and sales. According to Roper Public Affairs, publications encourage purchasing on the Web. Buyers rank them the number one influence to get information about Internet-based products and services. Articles and ads in publications are the top drivers that send buyers to specific advertiser Web sites.

8. Targeted Talk… Buyers read publications because they are specifically targeted to the buyer’s needs based on a wide variety of professional attributes and demographics. It’s no wonder that publication advertising is ranked the most relevant of all the major media including the Internet.

9. Added Exposure… Advertisers have extended exposure every time they run a print ad. Consider the fact that the average reader makes eye contact with 90 percent of the ads in a publication. Plus, the typical reader sees the average ad in an issue 2.54 times. That’s unprecedented exposure that leads to high levels of recall, response and results.

10. The Power of Print… No medium offers more to the advertiser. Results are optimized in a medium in which the buyer prefers the advertising content. Results are optimized in the pages of print.

Source: Hydrocarbon Processing
HPI Marketing Tips, Summer 2007

October 10
Join Lake Communicators for lunch and Networking Madness. Get to know your fellow members better at this luncheon modeled after the popular chamber events.

RSVP Deadline: October 5