Our Services
Those who already work with Dara Marketing say it’s like having their own dedicated in-house marketing department. With the wealth of experience and know how we have, we are able to do anything you need in terms of marketing and PR.
Here are the services we can offer:
Marketing Audits & Strategic Analysis
Many businesses find themselves in difficult times due to the recession, credit crunch or whatever you wish to call it. Many believe that the only way to save their business is to either cut back on all their costs or to pump money into advertising.
At Dara Marketing we take a different approach. We believe that examining a business for all cost efficiencies is important but not as important as examining the business in terms of its product offering, target market, messaging, allocation of advertising spend and more. We firmly believe there are many simple methods at a company’s disposal to turn their business around without spending a huge amount on advertising. We’re a ‘keep it simple’ and ‘back to basics’ type of company.
Our in-depth marketing audits and strategic analyses help businesses to review; who they are targeting, how and by what means. For most clients we have uncovered simple and cost effective ways of spending less and improving the value for money they get for the money they do spend.
We have completed an extensive array of strategic work for a host of Irish businesses. All will attest to the value these audits have delivered for their businesses.
Call us today and see how we can unlock your business’s potential.
Marketing Training
For many small businesses hiring a marketing consultant or agency long term is probably beyond their means. Our one and two day intensive marketing training courses give clients the basic tools and know how to become their own marketing expert.
These courses take a number of guises and include
- Basic Marketing Principles
- Basic Principles of Good Advertising
- How to Launch a New Business Effectively
- How to Market a Business in Recessionary Times
- How to Sell More & Spend Less
- How PR can Build a Business Profile
Contact us today for more details on how you or someone in your business can become a marketing guru.
Media Planning & Buying
Advertising is probably one of the most common tools associated with marketing. Advertising includes many methods including:
- TV
- Press
- Radio
- Outdoor
- Online
At Dara Marketing we have considerable experience in all forms of advertising. When devising marketing plans for our clients we often suggest a combination of advertising formats that will reach out to their target markets allowing the company to sell its business or offering effectively.
Our service includes booking and arranging the ad copy for the advertising campaign. So if it’s a TV campaign you’re looking for we will suggest and arrange the level of TV spots required to reach your audience as well as arrange the TV ad you’ll need to play.
Call us to discuss the correct advertising and level your company needs.
Leaflet/Flyer Distribution
Leaflet/flyer distribution has grown in popularity in Ireland in the past five years. Its simplicity allows companies and businesses to promote and explain what their business does and sells, quickly and cost effectively.
The most common methods of distribution include:
- Door to Door
- Traffic Lights
We have extensive experience in organising the distribution and design of leaflets for our clients and can suggest what will work best for you.
Copywriting
Having an idea is one thing. Putting it down on paper in a format that people will understand is another. Copywriting, or writing up the content for company profiles, brochures, websites etc., is an area most people including marketeers find most difficult. Expressing ideas in clear, concise, comprehensive language is more difficult than most people think.
Copywriting is our thing at Dara Marketing. We’re an excellent resource for busy people who don’t have the time or grasp of clear and concise writing that will capture an audience and engage them while reading.
So if you need to write a business letter, write the content for a company profile, press release or website, talk to us at Dara Marketing. We will discuss in detail what you want to express to the reader and we’ll do the hard work for you.
Audio On-Hold Messaging
Audio On-Hold messaging is still a quite underutilised but effective tool for many businesses. Audio On-Hold messaging allows a business or company to play a personalised message with music to customers who have to wait on the phone for a period of time. The message is customised so the caller is hearing information about your company. It is very effective in promoting new products, promotions and general company information.
Our messaging partners provide a fantastic service including script writing, voice over artists, music etc. All you need is a phone system that can play a pre-recorded message.
The cost of this service is very cost effective which allows companies to update their message frequently to promote sales, new opening hours, new services etc.
Event Management
Event Management has seen an explosion in more recent years as more and more companies have come to realise the great benefit of bringing customers or potential clients to pre-arranged events. Events can include conferences, meetings or weekend aways, golfing days, horseracing etc.
Dara Marketing has many years of expertise in event management. Being on the customer end on many occasions, we know what works and doesn’t for customers. Again to us, choosing or matching the right event to the right customer is of more importance that the event itself or the cost associated with it.
We offer each of our clients a comprehensive overview of what an event will entail, who should be invited, what they should be offered, how they should be invited etc. We manage everything from A-Z including following up on invitations, hosting the event on the day and organising all third parties.
Promotional Gifts
Promotional gifts can be very effective tools in increasing brand awareness if chosen well for their intended purpose. At Dara Marketing we have extensive experience in choosing and arranging promotional gifts for our clients to give to their customers. Items include pens, rulers, sports bags, golf balls, umbrellas, measuring tapes, notepads, jackets, t-shirts etc. Our supplying partners allow us to choose quality products at competitive rates that provide bespoke gifts for our clients.
Choosing the right promotional gifts for the end user is very important. Golf enthusiasts will gladly accept golf balls while a non-golfer will feel disappointed and possibly neglected. We are fully akin with selecting promotional goods that will serve their purpose and be utilised again and again allowing companies to spread their name and product offering extensively.
PR
PR or public relations as it is better known is a very effective marketing tool often under utilised or valued by many organisations. Its use is sometimes only ever valued if something goes wrong and a face needs to be put on the company i.e. fatal accident at work etc.
Public Relations relates to any form of unpaid advertising or promotion of a company’s products. While it is classed as unpaid, an element of cost is associated with it to capture the right photograph to accompany a press release etc.
PR is often used by large organisations to promote a new product, service, company trading results, new store opening, new staff employed etc. It is generally classified as newsworthy stories or information of interest to a newspaper/magazine and to the general public.
Often companies employ the services of a PR agency to circulate stories of interest to trade magazines, regional and national newspapers on their behalf utilising the PR agency’s contacts and powers of persuasion.
At Dara Marketing we understand the importance of good publicity and crisis management. Talk to us and let us demonstrate to you the usefulness of PR.
Competitions
Most closely associated with the Public Relations mix, competitions can be a great way of promoting a business or new product launch. Despite what many people might believe, large numbers of consumers are happy to enter competitions for the chance to win a great prize. Consumers from all age groups are generally happy to enter. The Late Late Show became famous in Ireland for the quality of its prizes and many a company received great exposure on the back of it.
At Dara Marketing we understand the mechanics of organising and running a competition whether locally, in newspapers, on radio, at exhibitions or even on The Late Late Show. If you have something you’d like to promote in this way, talk to us. We’ll help you decide what’s right for you.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship of an event or celebrity endorsement has become more popular in Ireland over the past ten years. Think of the Guinness Hurling Championship, the new O2 arena (previously The Point Depot), various sports brands, television programmes sponsored by a company and you’ll understand why many companies choose to invest their marketing budgets in sponsorship.
At Dara Marketing we understand the benefits of sponsorship and how to execute a sponsorship deal. We’ll be able to talk you through the process, what it can offer you, the limitations etc.
Direct Mail
Direct Mail is part of the below the line advertising function. It includes information that is specifically targeted with an end user in mind. It often takes the form of posted letters, postcards and e-newsletters.
The key to effective direct mail campaigning is utilising an up-to-date and appropriately targeted mailing list. Attaining such a list is extremely difficult and many that are readily available are not as up-to-date as the mailing companies would like you to believe.
If used correctly it is one of the most cost effective methods of getting your message across to your target audience. At Dara Marketing we have extensive experience of many direct marketing campaigns and possibly know all there is to know about it!
Talk to us today about any direct mail campaigns you would like to use. Again we can look after everything; the mailing list, what to say and promote, how to follow up etc.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile phones and MMS messaging have revolutionised how people get and stay in touch. It wasn’t long before marketing got its hands on this new revolution and cultivated it for its own use. Mobile marketing is still developing and is probably still in its infancy here in Ireland. With a target audience in mind, it is an extremely useful tool to promote a business or indeed special offer promotion.
Like other forms of direct mail, it does come with a health warning. Getting mobile numbers can be quite difficult and with the increase in its popularity, more and more consumers are tuning out or turning off from this tool. If used in the right way, it can be extremely cost effective and rewarding.
Brochures
A brochure or catalogue is often what a customer uses to find further information about a product or service offered by a company. Having a brochure for a customer to use is important but what is more important is the information the brochure gives, the look and feel used to convey the information and the quality of the paper used to print the brochure.
At Dara Marketing we fully understand the importance of producing a brochure that not only gives a customer further information but gives the information they need in order to purchase from you.
We work closely with each of our customers to put a brochure together that will satisfy their customer’s needs and queries, providing them with enough information that they will want to purchase from you.
POS
The importance of POS or Point Of Sale is often misunderstood or under valued by businesses. Having information in terms of product features, pricing and colours available can really assist consumers in deciding whether to purchase now or in the future. There is nothing worse than having a sale without any signage to inform a customer that a sale is taking place or having a product without a price on it. Customers often make their mind up about purchasing in one outlet or location based on their first five minute impression on entering a store. How can you ensure that they include your store in their ‘potential list’ if you don’t offer them something to remember?
At Dara Marketing we’ll not only suggest what POS to use but where it should be placed and what information it should include. And best of all we will handle the design, printing and distribution of it for you.
Business Stationery
One of the first items a new business or company must organise is its stationery. At Dara Marketing we are fully up-to-date in terms of what you legally must include on your business stationery and what looks and works well. We can provide you with the complete suite of business stationery you will need and how it should look and feel.
Unlike other marketing companies, we specialise in suggesting further useful business stationery tools other than business cards, headed notepaper and compliment slips. Talk to us today to understand the clever business stationery tools we can organise for you today.
Websites
A website in today’s world is a ‘shop window’ for a lot of companies. It is often the first port of call for consumers before they leave the comfort of their homes to shop. For some companies it is not only their shop window but is their business premises too.
Most businesses today have a website in some shape or guise. For many it is a single front page, for others it is a host of interactive pages with drop down menus for further information and details about the business. And for increasing more, a website is where people buy from them directly.
At Dara Marketing we not only understand the value a website offers but what a good website can do for a business.
A poorly laid out, badly designed and out of date website creates a bad impression of your business to every person that looks at your website.
For most people or companies, the hardest task in terms of a website is getting one up and running. Often the arduous task includes:
- How do I go about and get a domain registered?
- What is a domain name?
- What name should I register?
- How much should the site cost me to design and have up and running?
- How long should it take to get the site up and running?
- What information should I put up on the site?
Most of us will have considered these points at some stage. While these points are very important what is almost if not equally important is having an up-to-date website. What is seen by the business as the most important thing in terms of marketing, getting a website, is often the last item that is ever updated.
At Dara Marketing we offer clients the full service in terms of their website; arranging a domain name, writing up the relevant information for the site, deciding on the right navigation, creating the right look and feel and most importantly keeping the information up-to-date on the site.
So if you have a website currently up and running we are happy to maintain the content updates for you. Or if you need to set up a website we can handle this too including writing all the content for it. And better still we will enlist the help of our website designers and programmers to work on your site quickly and efficiently.
Branding
Branding is an often used term in marketing. Branding can mean a lot of things; a brand/logo, a business name, an overall look and feel of a business.
At Dara Marketing, we understand that branding can mean a lot of things to lots of different people. We understand branding as a holistic image and view of your business; what it represents to you and to your customer. Once your overall business look and feel are decided on, we will assist you in ensuring that all the branding for your business is consistent and conveys the image of your business.
To us everything you say, everything your employees say, what you business collateral says about your business is part of your brand. Are these all working in tandem with the business’s brand essence?
Logo Design
Deciding on a business or company name can often seem like the most important or difficult decision for a business to make. While it is indeed very important something which should not be underestimated is the company’s logo. At Dara Marketing we believe simplicity is key. A fancy or unusual logo may look good on a business card or letterhead but unless it can be easily understood and reflects the right image of the company it will not market or sell your business correctly.
Talk to Dara Marketing about creating the right logo for your business or to find out if your logo is actually doing what it was meant to do.
Uniforms
Everything about your business informs your customer about what your business offers, the service they can expect and the people that will assist them. Image is important to all businesses. At Dara Marketing we understand the importance of image to a business. We have extensive experience in choosing and selecting the right clothing for employees to wear that not only looks good and creates a great image of a business but what is practical, comfortable and will wear-well.
We have extensive experience in the following forms of uniform clothing:
- Safety Clothing (hi-vis vest, steel cap boots, hard hats)
- Warehousing/Delivery Driver (t-shirts, poloshirts, work wear trousers)
- Retail (shirt/blouse, tie/scarf, skirt/trousers, jumper, jacket)
- Sales Rep (jacket)
- Badges
All clothing is not only selected for its durability, image and comfort but is suitability branded with the company’s logo.
At Dara Marketing we are happy to arrange samples of the clothing chosen so your employees can try on the items before you buy.
Signage
Signage is one of the most important items for any business or company to invest in. It allows a business to explain to customers what the business sells and the service it offers.
We can handle and select all your company’s signage requirements explaining the choice of signage and its durability. All the signage we choose will not only suit its intended purpose but will require very little or no maintenance, subject to normal wear and tear.
Our signage partners are experts in their field and not only offer value for money signage but will also install it for you, on time and without any hassle.
Signage Dara Marketing can organise for you includes:
- Exterior
- Interior
- Totems
- A-boards
- Hoardings
Livery
Your company vehicle fleet should be seen as a moveable A-board or sign. They are constantly on the move travelling to deliver products to customers or to service your customer needs.
We have extensive experience in designing and organising appropriate signage for:
- Cars
- Vans
- 40ft Trailers
Our partners are available to go to your location to apply the livery to your vehicle, should this be more convenient for you.
Market Research
Market Research is a very important component for any business whether a new start or established company. It aids and assists businesses to understand their customers wants and needs in more depth, gauge the success of advertising campaigns in terms of brand awareness, the likelihood of a new product being successful, how customers experience service in-store amongst many other things.
At Dara Marketing we not only understand the importance of using market research but of using the correct method. With the extensive range of partners we work with we are able to offer our customers effective, timely and cost effective market research tailored to their needs. The market research we offer includes the following methods:
- Telephone
- Focus Groups
- Mystery Shopper
- Vox Pop
- Omnibus
Exhibitions & Fairs
An exhibition or fair can be an effective tool for a business as it allows you to target your customer base effectively. The beauty of exhibitions and fairs is it allows you to speak to your target audience face to face, answering any questions or queries while demonstrating your product or service. Exhibitions and fairs are very targeted as most people attending are actually interested in what they are going to see. Unlike advertising which can often be seen as background noise, fairs and exhibitions allow companies to exhibit their wares to customers.
At Dara Marketing we work closely with the organisers of such fairs and exhibitions and understand what exhibition is the right one for your target audience. Our extensive experience also covers organising the exhibition space for maximum effect as well as designing and organising stands to promote and display product to the maximum.
We really have the-know how and expertise to organise and arrange anything you would like or need. Call us today and find out what we can do for you!
