Leaders in marketing and promotions since 1993

Another holiday is already upon us, and in the tradition of the American Dream, the Fourth of July is surely a great one for promoting and growing your business. Of course Independence Day celebrations can clearly be expected to generate sales in the food and beverage industries, but many other areas of business will benefit as well, and all can certainly take action and observe the holiday to positive effect for the bottom line!

Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in many ways, including barbeques, pool parties, lake or beach excursions, tailgates, festivals and fireworks displays. All of these can require purchases ranging from food and drink to clothing, accessories, decorations, yard and garden goods, furniture, tools and electronics just to name a few. Your business might do well to advertise special holiday sale prices, or you could stage an event to attract consumers, using the holiday theme as an exciting departure from the ordinary.

A few methods you can work with to get the word out about your special holiday sales or events might include printed materials for direct mail or on-site promotion, web site presentation or banner advertisements and email campaign blasts.

Hadfield Communications, Inc. has more than 16 years of experience in marketing and promotions, so we can help you turn this Independence Day into a true celebration for your business. Contact us to make the most of your holiday marketing options.

With its largest number of exhibits (3,533) in a 31-year history, the Natural Products Expo West 2011 attracted more than 58,000 industry members to Anaheim, California in March. This turnout provides a healthy picture of industry growth and the increased interest in and awareness of more healthy lifestyles.

A Hadfield Communications colleague attended the show as a representative for the marketing interests of one of our retail food industry clients. She returned to the office with entertaining tales about the walking, talking, tasting and learning, all of which abound in endless supply throughout the event. Our friend not only tasted “…more yogurt than “…I may have had in a lifetime”, but also discovered the heretofore unrealized benefits of mushrooms, agave and especially “…these unbelievable red wine vinegar snack chips”!

We commiserated with her over the ordeal of walking her “…feet completely off”, as she covered as much as possible of the five fully filled exhibit halls, displaying eight different categories of natural product, including Organics, Natural & Specialty Foods, Supplements, Heath & Beauty, Natural Living, SupplyExpo and even the relatively small, though notable Pet division. It is probable, however, that she might have eliminated a few of her extra steps by not returning time and again to re-taste those red wine vinegar snack chips!

Many businesses recently seem to be discrediting the value of attending trade shows and of preparing the necessary materials and collateral in favor of focusing on Internet commerce and social media types of marketing. The success of the Natural Products Expo West shows that such face-to-face interaction can be a valuable resource for businesses, providing unmatched opportunities for education, networking and hands-on experience. These opportunities are backed by the event’s statistics that reflect 86% of the attendees have buying authority and that three-quarters of the buyers are likely to sell a product if they saw it at the Expo.

Hadfield Communications has more than 16 years of experience providing quality materials, packaging and collateral that can make an impact with new and potential customers or buyers for any event or trade show. Contact us to find out more about how we can help your business to always be trade-show-ready.

You’ve spent a lifetime building your company. You’ve created the best product, service team, etc. Now it’s time to introduce your company, and yourself, to the world.

So where do you start? Branding.

Establishing your brand is one of the most critical parts of positioning your company in the marketplace. We’re not just talking about a fancy logo and coordinating stationery. You need to connect your products and services with who you are and where you’re going, through a strong visual element accompanied by a definitive voice. The whole “package” should reflect your brand. Build your brand — build your business.

1. Identify your demographic or target market.
2. Prioritize a list of points that you want to communicate. These should include brand name, product/service name, why-to-buy statement, features/benefits and image.
3. Research the competition. Observe the market environment, packaging and point-of-purchase.
4. Personalize your brand. Incorporating your name into your brand lends credibility to your product/service and says that you stand behind your company. This kind of pride goes a long way. Other options could be personal anecdotes, nicknames, or the even the names of places that are meaningful to you. Sharing a bit of yourself with your target market will help tell your story and separate your company from others.
5. Be consistent. Immediate recognition is essential.
6. Get focused. Focus groups can help determine if you’re on the right track. You can also form your own personal focus groups from your family, friends and industry associates. Plan a get-together at which you can poll their opinions on the look and feel of your brand, and those of your competition.
7. Be sure your brand appeals to YOU. Create a tone that reflects you, and appeals to your target audience, but it should also be one that you like and will be happy with for a long time.

To position your brand effectively you need to let prospective customers know who you are and what you stand for when they first come in contact with your product or service. From the beginning, show them how you’re different. The goal? To attract people to your business for the first time and then, keep them returning again and again. You want them to share the experience of your company with their family and friends. When you can reach new customers and give them the opportunity to bond with your company and be a walking advertisement, you have achieved some effective and self-perpetuating branding.

Hadfield Communications has more than 16 years of experience in Marketing & Promotions. We can help you reach your goals and achieve success with effective brand positioning. Contact us to get started today!

Jennifer’s position at Hadfield is a little hard to pinpoint because she is so versitile and wears many hats. From assisting Linda Hadfield with her daily schedule to answering phones and finding chefs for one of our client’s cooking classes, she finds herself doing a little bit of everything on a daily basis. One of the biggest responsibilities Jenn had to tackle was to organize the database of hundreds of recipes for one of our largest clients’ Web sites. Jenn had to input over 500 recipes to start with and had to manage the consistency and verbiage of the recipes to comply with our in-house recipe standards. Recipes from around the world from some very high-profile chefs were provided to us and Jenn had to organize and streamline the process to make it possible to upload all the recipes in a consistent manner. After uploading the original batch of recipes, Jenn has also been charged with constantly getting more recipes and rotating the database so it stays fresh. If that isn’t enough, Jenn also compiles many address databases for us and is the point person on any client mailings and agency communications with the public.

Barbara has over 17 years experience in the industry and has been instrumental in the production of high-end marketing and advertising materials for many clients throughout the years. Barbara graduated Cum Laude from Texas Christian University with a B.F.A. in Advertising Design. She began her career as a graphic designer in Fort Worth and then made the move to Houston to expand her horizons. In Houston, she extended her education to include computer graphics and Web design. Barbara’s experience includes print production and graphic design. She designs and produces layouts for materials such as custom publications, books, magazines, ads, trade show booths and packaging and for the past seven years has been responsible for putting together a monthly custom newsletter for one of our largest clients. Her attention to detail and command of the production end of a print project goes a long way in keeping things running smoothly. From checking proofs to press checks, Barb is involved in every aspect of the production process and her knowledge of custom publication design is an invaluable asset to the company.

Kelly brings over 15 years of experience in traffic management and project coordination. She is an organized self-starter, very detail oriented and deadline driven. She opens and assigns schedules to all projects, bids work with contractors and estimates jobs. She coordinates and monitors all projects and ensures timely delivery. Her experience includes more than seven years as a creative traffic manager for a high-end national retail store. While there, Kelly became intimately familiar with high stress situations such as meeting tight deadlines and dealing with multiple projects at once. Kelly is a master of communication and partnership development which is very beneficial for our custom co-op publications. She manages project deadlines, routes proofs and reports on job status daily, adjusting project schedules to keep things running smoothly and on time. Her invaluable insight and knowledge of the dynamics between creative and account service plays a vital role in keeping things running smoothly and keeping everyone’s egos in check.

Gerald has worked in many industries bringing his media experience to TV/Film, Advertising and Oil & Gas markets. He has a unique skill set that covers multimedia, visual design, Web development, video, photography, applications and hosting which drastically reduces project costs. He’s always the ‘go-to guy’ for anything in digital form. He’s also an educated foodie and personal chef.

Gerald spent 12 years with Royal Dutch/Shell as a Web Designer and eventually Global Video Focal Point. He designed, built and managed Shell’s first video portal for on-demand communications and live townhall meetings. He brought streaming CorpComm to every Shell desktop as a global service offering in Feb 2006. He was asked to write the video standards specification that is still in use today.

With a strong multimedia background, G has been a streaming media evangelist since its inception in the mid 90′s. He taught Corporate Communications Streaming at conferences in New York and San Jose, and is friends with most of the movers and shakers in the industry. He’s been a conference panelist and is published in the 2005 Streaming Media Industry Sourcebook with “Expanding Your Streaming Infrastructure”.

Alicia’s 19-year career with design firms and advertising agencies give her a well-rounded view of the industry. She has always been relentless in her pursuit of great design and visual communication. Alicia has worked for prestigious and forward-thinking design firms and she has guarded the image of corporations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Silestone. However, she found her true voice in advertising, where she has done her most compelling work. Before owning her own firm, Alicia spent five years as Creative Director at an ad agency that specialized in multi-cultural advertising, where her Hispanic insight contributed greatly to their multicultural marketing group. Alicia has done extensive work with ethnic markets including Hispanic, African-American and Asian, both locally and nationally. She has wide-ranging experience with branding, comprehensive mixed media advertising campaigns both in English and Spanish as well as Web design and magazine design and Art Direction. When she owned her own firm, Alicia was highly sought after as a hired-gun for local agencies as an extension of their creative teams when they needed an experienced creative to take over high profile accounts. Throughout her career she has created award-winning work for clients such as Shell Oil Corp., DuPont, Centerpoint Energy, Aker Solutions, ConAgra Foods, Texas Instruments, The Port of Houston Authority, Time Warner Cable, FreshPoint Produce, BP Oil and ExpressJet. She has also done public speaking seminars on magazine photography Art Direction and Food Photography Art Direction for American Writers & Artists Inc.

Alicia’s work has been widely recognized in the industry with many ADDY Awards, Art Directors Club of Houston Awards, Summit Creative Awards, Employment Management Association (EMA) Creative Excellence Awards and American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Communications Competition Awards.

Hadfield Communications was started in 1993 by Linda Hadfield who wanted to change the way food advertising was viewed. Linda’s expertise in the specialty food industry began in Tucson, Arizona where as a Registered Dietitian, she was the Nutrition Director at Canyon Ranch Health and Fitness Resort, then rated The Number One Spa in the World by Conde Nast. As a spokesperson for the spa, she represented Canyon Ranch in the media; on television, radio, and as a wellness speaker in the community. An accomplished writer, she has been published over 50 times in national food, health and fitness publications and has contributed to several books including, The Canyon Ranch Health and Fitness Program, No, Ifs, ands or Butts, and Winning the Weight and Wellness Game.

Today, Linda is the owner of Hadfield Communications, a full service agency in Houston, Texas, that specializes in food and beverage (lifestyle) marketing. “This is an exciting time to be involved in the food & beverage industry. Innovation and creativity have given birth to exciting combinations of foods, flavors and textures that pique one’s interest and titillates the senses. There are no more rules – fusion is now the norm.”

Hadfield Communications is a Houston ad agency with a proven track record. Many of our customers have been with us for five years or longer. A testament to the fact that what this ad agency does for them… works.

Todd Gregory

Hadfield Communications

Todd Gregory joins Hadfield as Strategic Marketing Manager for current and prospective clients. He will be pivotal in the process of determining client needs and translating them into measurable campaigns that provide integrated marketing solutions. Through Todd’s industry experience and accumulated contacts, he will additionally raise awareness of Hadfield’s marketing and advertising services. “Todd has shown the ability throughout his career, to create and implement customized strategies for clients which produce an increase in sales and brand recognition,” said Linda Hadfield, President and CEO. “I am confident our clients will see the same results. ”Todd joins Hadfield having worked in all segments of the marketing and advertising industry. He has over 20-years experience in developing advertising strategies and campaigns for Fortune 500 companies like Home Depot, Circuit City and Best Buy. Todd then transitioned to Home Depot’s client side as Advertising Manager for the West Coast locations. At Home Depot, Todd was responsible for opening 174 new stores, and led a Hispanic initiative in 85 stores. His local experience includes being the Regional Manager for AutoTrader.com and Strategic Planner for Pixel Creative. His tenure at both companies involved creating a comprehensive sales plan, which led to maximizing the organization’s recognition and increased their growth potential.

Todd’s tested and successful research, strategy and implementation skills will be both profitable and measurable for current and future clients at Hadfield Communications.

Hadfield Communications

Hadfield Communications is a Houston ad agency with a proven track record. Many of our customers have been with us for five years or longer. A testament to the fact that what this ad agency does for them… works.

An industry leader in Houston since 1993, Hadfield Communications offers you award-winning talent and professional insight. We’ll help define who you are; your company, your products and your services. What sets you apart from the others. And why customers should buy from you. Then we’ll craft the message. One that captures attention, builds loyalty… and ultimately… makes the sale. Advertising. Marketing. Public Relations. Custom Publishing. We do it all. Check out our 2010 Services List to see what we can do for your organization.

Company: Hadfield Communications
Contact: Todd Gregory
Phone: 713-501-1116
Email: Todd@hadfield.net