Sales & Marketing Society of the Mid-South

Billions of dollars are spent every year on creative and artistic advertising campaigns that don’t resonate with consumers because they fail to reach them where and when they want to be reached.

This was the message from Maria McLendon, a marketing and communications leader who shared her expertise in market segmentation, targeting and positioning with attendees of the Sales and Marketing Society of the Mid-South March luncheon. McLendon is a marketing and public relations consultant who is skilled in orchestrating internal and external resources in order to develop and implement effective advertising and sales promotion programs.

“Great ads and marketing can be lost if we are not fully aware of who is receiving the message,” McLendon said. “We have to know our customers inside and out. To have a successful campaign, we must identify our ideal customers, and then reach them when, where and how they want to be reached.”

“Maria’s presentation was timely and well received by our SMS audience,” said Lori Turner, Managing Partner, Red Rover Sales and Marketing. “As business owners and marketers, its easy to get excited about all of the new and exciting marketing delivery channels, thanks to the explosion of social media, but it’s critical that we don’t lose sight of the fundamentals — proper market segmentation, understanding the common traits of those segments and messaging accordingly.”

The Sales and Marketing Society of the Mid-South is a network providing continuing education to sales and marketing professionals with the intention of continually improving the standards for professional selling, sales management and marketing. Its primary goal is to provide educational events and services for sales and marketing professionals. In addition to being a source for education and information, SMS is also involved in sponsorship and scholarship programs for college students from the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Check out the photos from the Luncheon, courtesy of Gary Baldwin:

We were very fortunate to have Scott Williams speak at our January luncheon. Scott is the Vice President of Marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises and discussed “Elvis 75: Still Taking Care of Business.” Scott reviewed how EP Enterprises utilizes social media, marketing campaigns and brand image to keep the King alive. It was a fascinating look at how a high-power brand uses marketing strategies that would work for any size business.

Check out our sideshow, thanks to Merrick Photography.