Well, 2006 is really underway, and the second month was even better than the first. This year, February was huge for advertising. Between the Super Bowl, the Olympic Games, the Westminster Dog Show and Valentine's Day, marketers worked in overdrive to promote and persuade. At SicolaMartin, things were just as busy. Since the January launch of EP, we've been working like mad, using your feedback to shape and develop another issue we think you'll really enjoy. From insight into the microprocessor industry to why SicolaMartin is the best place to work, this issue offers a spanking new extended play of the information you want most.
Please let us know how we're doing. Share your feedback.
Enjoy!
Steve
The Competition Was Fierce
We're proud to be named one of the Best Companies to Work For in Texas! Our #8 ranking is a reflection of something we've known for years — SicolaMartin is a wonderful place where talented people love coming together, having fun and creating great work for great clients.
What makes us so unique? Summer Fridays, Kick Butt awards, growth opportunities and an environment that honors family priorities, for starters. How were we chosen? By assessing employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey. Want to see which other companies rose to the top? It's in the February 2006 issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Click here for the online listing.
The Texas Sapphires Do It
Pearl-snap buttons and skull-and-crossbones belt buckles — sleeveless embroidered shirts and tattoos: The Texas Sapphires are not your average country band. They blend their punk rock and country roots to play what they know best — their own version of vintage hillbilly rock and roll with complementing guy/girl vocals and a mandolin player to boot!
Featuring one of our very own Martians, Senior Art Director Jeff Joiner on bass guitar, the band has earned the attention of local press, being named "Best New Local Act" in the Austin Chronicle's 2005 Critics Poll and recommended for "Best Country Act" in the 2006 Reader's Poll. Most impressively, The Texas Sapphires caught the attention of legendary producer and steel guitar player Lloyd Maines (yes, the father of Dixie Chick Natalie Maines) and recorded an album with him in November 2005. Look for their debut Valley So Steep to be released on Lowe Farm Records in March.
AMD On Top, by Pete Hayes
It takes more than marketing hype to declare competitive victory. And while AMD recently declared a TKO in their mock dual-core duel with Intel, every benchmark imaginable has confirmed the same thing: AMD has a significant technical advantage over their competition. But that's not all.
Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money on CNBC, recently praised AMD for having better management than its competition. Other industry and financial analysts, traditionally skeptical of AMD’s ability to maintain a competitive edge, have witnessed the company diversify in their segment strengths, from home media center systems to enterprise multi-processor servers.
What's next? This is the year of the dual-core computer. A second processor core that eliminates waiting for background tasks to complete. This is also the year of Vista, the long-awaited, new Windows operating system that improves today's computing experience by a quantum level. Oh, and the best possible Vista experience? On computers with AMD64 dual-core technology.
You Get What You Pay For
Did 2006 bring increased budgets for your marketing department? A B2B online poll of senior marketing executives found that over 60 percent of respondents are reporting increased budgets, the majority at an increase of up to 14 percent. This is more than just an economy upswing. These marketers are proving the effect of marketing on the bottom line.
Not convinced? The same survey showed that 60 percent of those asked reported customer acquisitions as their primary goal, with branding at 20.8 percent and customer retention at 11 percent. Just goes to show that customer acquisition is the one marketing goal that can be affordably and consistently measured and analyzed. Without a way to link specific activities to the bottom line, important strategic initiatives such as branding, customer loyalty programs and brand sustainability could fall to the wayside as marketing struggles to keep its place at the executive table and justify its budgets.
It all comes down to accountability, folks.
Reversing the Dropout Trend in Central Texas
It's no secret that the dropout rate has reached crisis levels across the U.S. In fact, here in Central Texas, one out of every three students entering ninth grade doesn't graduate four years later. But there is good news.
Communities In Schools (CIS) is a non-profit, dropout-prevention agency that provides a range of services to help troubled kids stay in school. And their success is impressive: In 2005, 99 percent of the students they closely served remained in school.
We wanted to help this great organization focus on what they do best—serve students and their families. So we produced an interactive video and an ad for a regional grocery store, to help CIS raise awareness among parents, donors, mentors and the community at large. There's still a lot to be done. But with support and resources, CIS can help many more students achieve their dreams. Find out how you can help.
