Dampney Paints the Town

By Steve Stroum | October 15, 2011 | 0 Comments

There’s a specialty coatings manufacturer in Everett, MA who has provided high-performance, high temperature protective coating solutions throughout the world since 1917.  At Venmark International, we’ve been helping them tell their story to the right audiences for several years.

A Business Model That Makes a Difference

By Steve Stroum | October 15, 2011 | 0 Comments

What he observed for about 20 years was the consistency in my business and how successful my clients have become.   An owner of an advertising agency called me several months ago with the idea that he might want to buy Venmark International. 

Publicity is Free, That Doesn’t Mean it has no Value

By Steve Stroum | October 15, 2011 | 0 Comments

When I first got into business for myself, the stakes were high and I learned to control the variables.  I knew about outsourcing and as a sales professional, I knew about preparation.

Publicity in the Internet Age

By Steve Stroum | October 15, 2011 | 0 Comments

The amount of information and misinformation on the web is remarkable.  With respect to publicity, especially product publicity, quite frankly, the misinformation is astonishing. 

Entrepreneurs and Accountability

By Steve Stroum | October 14, 2011 | 0 Comments

If you react to a negative situation by thinking, “what did I do wrong?” that is a natural entrepreneurial ingredient. 

Do you know the three Most Important Factors in Marketing?

By Steve Stroum | October 11, 2011 | 0 Comments

In the real estate business it has long been said, “the three most important factors when selling a property are location, location, and location.”   For marketers, the three most important factors in selling products and services are:

Publicity Made the Company Look Huge!

By Steve Stroum | September 30, 2011 | 0 Comments

My writer drove around half of Waltham, as he described it, trying to find Custom Fabricators, Inc.  Why?  Because in his mind he was looking for a big factory, a facility consistent with the widespread exposure the company had been receiving in leading publications as a result of our work.

Product Publicity Return-on-Investment

By Steve Stroum | September 30, 2011 | 0 Comments

I was doing one project per month with Charleswater Products and playing a key role in their marketing efforts.  When I arrived for one of our monthly meetings back in the early 80s, my client, George Berbeco, who owned the company, announced that he wanted to do three projects per month.

Entrepreneurs: the Real American Heroes

By Steve Stroum | September 30, 2011 | 2 Comments

I don’t understand why the entrepreneurs who take risks and become successful are vilified as rich businessmen and looked down upon by our democratic elite leaders. (Actually I do, but that’s another story)

Why Work With Small Companies?

By Steve Stroum | September 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Several years ago, I was introduced to a young man who was starting a company.  He mentioned that he graduated Carnegie Melon with an engineering degree and went on to ask me, “If I was so good at what I do, why do I work with small companies?”