Atronic Alarms
Best Display Advertisement
Sponsored by PSA Security Network
Established in 1982, Lenexa, Kan.-based Atronic Alarms considers itself to be a conservative marketer, relying mostly on its existing client base and word-of-mouth referrals. It’s rare the company places ads in publications, but when it does, the goal is not to use scare tactics to attract potential customers. Instead, Atronic positions its ads more for branding and awareness. 
Designed by Marketing and Graphic Design Consultant Megan Ragan, the company’s ad features a photo of a child looking out the window with a dog. The image creates an atmosphere of providing a safe environment for loved ones. This unique ad helped the company earn the SAMMY award for Best Display Advertisement.
Operations Manager Todd Harrison notes that “marketing is all encompassing,” adding that brand awareness has really helped this small company flourish. Currently, Atronic is putting its focus on increasing its Internet presence to bring in new customers, with its focus on social networking sites and electronic campaigns. The company is also increasing its visibility for search engine optimization (SEO).
Additionally, Harrison credits Ragan for keeping Atronic’s name in local in national publications, which sparks the interest of potential customers.
“The goal at Atronic Alarms is to achieve a four-week return on investment,” Harrison says. “The company evaluates what category is driving new business and what is not so we can ensure we are getting the most out of our marketing dollar. This area tends to be a little more difficult to obtain a true ROI; however, all of the individual investment categories play a role in the overall ROI. Our goal is to place our advertising dollars in each category with emphasis on what drives the greatest percentage of return.”
And so far, the company is doing well, as annual revenue averages between $3.5 million to $4 million. Though Harrison says that the marketing budget dropped a bit in 2009, cutting back on Yellow Page ads and reducing ad sizes contributed to a 25-percent increase in this year’s marketing budget.
“I believe in marketing, and I want to be aggressive in how we approach our clients and how we can reach out to them,” Harrison says. “Some campaigns fail, some don’t, but you can plan on failing if you never try.”
Print | posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:26 PM