October 27, 2010 Lunch and Learn presentation to the Toledo Area Home Builders Association

1. Advertising & PR:
Best Practices
to Promote your Business
Presented by:
Breanna Filas – Metro Media Group
Leasa Maxx – Maxx Marketing & Design

2. Advertising
• What is it?
▫ … attracting public attention to a product or
organization by paid announcements in print,
broadcast, or electronic media.

3. Identifying Your Target Market
• Demographics/Psychographics
• Who are your current clients?
• Who are your best clients?
• Who are your prospects?
(Who would you like to have as clients?)

4. Case in Point
• Those who choose to build green:
▫ Primary: Willing to pay premium for high ROI
▫ Demographics
 45 – 54
 Professionals; Incomes $65K+
 Women: Mothers with eye on household budget
▫ Hard benefits vs. Soft Benefits

5. Set your Budget
• Before & After
• Determining Your Budget
▫ Current Sales
▫ Current Profit
▫ Sales Goals

6. Set your Objectives
• Increase awareness
• Promote an event
• Increase sales in the short-term
• … Be realistic!

7. Meet your Objectives
• How can you do this effectively?
▫ Target Market vs. Medium
▫ Compare Demographics to Cost
▫ Technical Lingo

8. Negotiate Rates
• Play it cool
• Know your Medium
• Specials & Promotions

9. Execute Media Plan
• Be prepared
• Track results
• Give it time!

10. Public Relations
• What is it?
▫ Entrepreneur.com: (working with) the news or
business press to carry positive stories about
your company or your products; cultivating
good relationships with local press …
• How is it different from advertising?
▫ Free vs. Paid Placement
▫ Third-party Point-of-View
• The main tool: News Release

11. Start with your objectives
• Do you want to generate inquiries?
• Do you want to communicate with your clients
and prospects? Build your relationship?
• Do you want to create buzz in general?

12. News Release
• EPA Says Ashton Woods Homes "Leading the Nation" in Building High-Performance
Homes
• Considered a "Select Group of Builders" by EPA Director
• 10.13.2010– Ashton Woods Homes, a premiere builder of eco-friendly and energy-efficient new
homes, today announced that they had been commended by the National Director of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Headquartered in Atlanta Georgia, Ashton Woods builds high-performance new homes in growth
communities in Houston, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh and Tampa. Close to
jobs, shopping and transportation corridors, Ashton Woods effectively balances healthy-house
features with energy-efficiency in their Power House Green homes – which can save homeowners as
much as 45% per year on utility bills.
In an e-mail from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in Washington, D.C., Sam
Rashkin, Director, ENERGY STAR for New Homes says, "A select group of large builders are leading
the Nation's housing industry to high-performance homes by committing to all of their divisions to
construct 100% ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes. Ashton Woods is one of those builders. Their
efforts will help provide homes that are better for our nation, our communities, and home owners
across the country."
“We are very pleased to be recognized from the Director of Energy Star representing the EPA,” said
Ralph Farrell, Senior V.P. of Operations at Ashton Woods Homes. “Over the last eight years Ashton
Woods Homes has been 100% committed to providing our customers the most energy efficient,
healthy homes in our markets. We appreciate being recognized in doing so, but we are most proud
that we do it because it is the right thing to do,’” added Mr. Farrell.
During the past eight years, Ashton Woods Homes has demonstrated its commitment to providing
green, energy efficient homes. With more buyers each year purchasing high-performance, energy-
efficient homes, Ashton Woods continues to provide state-of-the-art features and benefits to its
buyers in each of its new homes. Visit www.ashtonwoods.com/powerhouse to learn more.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary
market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency.
Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy,
money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 12,000 organizations are
ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings
and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-
free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
About Ashton Woods Homes
Ashton Woods Homes is a subsidiary of the Great Gulf Group- a fully-integrated collection of
companies that spans the entire real estate spectrum in North America – from land acquisition and
development to the design and construction of master planned communities. For more than 40 years,
Ashton Woods has built a solid reputation for building comfortable, energy-efficient, high-
performance homes and is the winner in Overall Quality in the 2009 J.D. Power Survey for New-
Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Ranking and is honored with the most coveted local, regional
and national awards. For more information, visit www.ashtonwoodshomes.com.
###
Contact: Tad Serbin
Ashton Woods Homes
Phone: 770-998-9663 | Email: tserbin@ashtonwoodshomes.com
http://pitch.pe/94623

13. News Releases
• Getting coverage
▫ Get to know the media covering your industry.
▫ Social media can help. (Facebook, Twitter)
▫ Read and listen to their stories.
▫ Do your homework and make sure your pitch is
relevant.
▫ Send objective news release. (Reads like an article;
Not like a sales letter.)

14. News Releases
• Building relationships with clients & prospects
▫ Optimize your news release for the web (keywords)
▫ Distribute online via a service:
 Pitchengine.com
 Telltoledo.com
 PR Newswire
 ExpertClick/News Release Wire
▫ Post it on your web site
 Press Room or News & Events
 Facebook Business Page
 Linkedin Status Updates and Profile

15. News Release
• Create buzz
▫ Identify key industry bloggers (influencers, citizen
journalists)
▫ Don’t jump in feet first.
▫ Read thoughtfully. Comment thoughtfully.
▫ Once there is two-way communication, you will
know the right time that the blogger will be
receptive to news release.

16. Execute PR Plan
• Be prepared
• Track your results
▫ # of placements
▫ # of inquiries
▫ Web site traffic
• Give it time

17. Thank you!
If we can be of assistance:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/breannafilas
http://www.linkedin.com/in/leasamaxx