Strategic Media, Inc Hosts 2nd Annual Retreat

Written By

SMI Staff

Published On

Tuesday, Sep 24
The SMI team

On September 16-17, Strategic Media, Inc. hosted its second annual off-site company retreat at Sunday River in Maine. The peaceful setting provided opportunities for collaboration, team building, relaxing outdoors, and finding new ways to help our clients.

During one group exercise, employees were asked to create a marketing proposal for an imaginary client. Each team crafted a detailed media rollout strategy, created sample invoices, and wrote and produced a mock radio ad—all in three-and-a-half hours.

SMI team at table

“[T]aking a process that normally is weeks long and trying to successfully come up with a strategy in three hours was really tough… I learned so much from this exercise – how valuable each member of our team was, the purpose that they served, but also that my team worked really well under pressure… [T]his exercise was a great example [of] how we as a company lean on each other for help but also can work outside of our wheelhouse in order to accomplish a task,” said Abby Baum, Media Coordinator.

Christina Baeten, Director of Client Services, said, “The group work was both fun and stressful working under a strict timeline. When our team ran into challenges we kept asking ourselves, ‘What would we do if this were a real scenario?’ and that guided our problem-solving. I learned the importance of strong leadership, as well as the value of having specialty roles.”

The finished products, detailed proposals with media plans broken down according to the allotted budget, as well as final produced spots, were presented to the group. The end result was a surprising display of originality and talent.

“It was thrilling to hear the spots that people from other departments wrote and voiced. They were great!  I was amazed at the depth of real talent in the office,” said Payne Ratner, Copywriter.

The project also inspired a sense of gratitude among colleagues. Brooke Murray, Director of Strategic Growth, said, “I have a new appreciation for the specialty each colleague brings to our company and our clients.  We take for granted how much we’re able to accomplish week to week because every team can rely on other teams to do their part.”

Employees spent the second day discussing how their learnings from the group exercise could be applied to promote clients’ profitable growth.

“We have a lot of great opportunities ahead of us!  Each client has tremendous potential for growth through targeted testing and measurement,” said Murray.

“We have to look ahead to the future to stay ahead of trends to better serve our clients,” said Baum.

SMI team hiking

In addition to team exercises and discussions, the retreat provided opportunities to relax and unwind among colleagues. Employees went golfing, kayaking, hiking, or sluicing. Leisure activities provided an opportunity for bonding and enjoying the beautiful Sunday River scenery. And new approaches to problem-solving were inspired by the outdoor setting.

Ben Siegel, Information Systems Manager, said, “I felt that it was great to be outdoors, and we even discussed work opportunities as the morning’s activity was fresh in our minds! It was great to be discussing work topics without feeling pressured to do so and while in a pleasant environment. It sparked a lot of discussion, some work and some personal, and I feel that we not only learned more about each other, but also came up with some ideas for how to better help our clients in the future.”

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On September 16-17, Strategic Media, Inc. hosted its second annual off-site company retreat at Sunday River in Maine. The peaceful setting provided opportunities for collaboration, team building, relaxing outdoors, and finding new ways to help our clients.

During one group exercise, employees were asked to create a marketing proposal for an imaginary client. Each team crafted a detailed media rollout strategy, created sample invoices, and wrote and produced a mock radio ad—all in three-and-a-half hours.

SMI team at table

“[T]aking a process that normally is weeks long and trying to successfully come up with a strategy in three hours was really tough… I learned so much from this exercise – how valuable each member of our team was, the purpose that they served, but also that my team worked really well under pressure… [T]his exercise was a great example [of] how we as a company lean on each other for help but also can work outside of our wheelhouse in order to accomplish a task,” said Abby Baum, Media Coordinator.

Christina Baeten, Director of Client Services, said, “The group work was both fun and stressful working under a strict timeline. When our team ran into challenges we kept asking ourselves, ‘What would we do if this were a real scenario?’ and that guided our problem-solving. I learned the importance of strong leadership, as well as the value of having specialty roles.”

The finished products, detailed proposals with media plans broken down according to the allotted budget, as well as final produced spots, were presented to the group. The end result was a surprising display of originality and talent.

“It was thrilling to hear the spots that people from other departments wrote and voiced. They were great!  I was amazed at the depth of real talent in the office,” said Payne Ratner, Copywriter.

The project also inspired a sense of gratitude among colleagues. Brooke Murray, Director of Strategic Growth, said, “I have a new appreciation for the specialty each colleague brings to our company and our clients.  We take for granted how much we’re able to accomplish week to week because every team can rely on other teams to do their part.”

Employees spent the second day discussing how their learnings from the group exercise could be applied to promote clients’ profitable growth.

“We have a lot of great opportunities ahead of us!  Each client has tremendous potential for growth through targeted testing and measurement,” said Murray.

“We have to look ahead to the future to stay ahead of trends to better serve our clients,” said Baum.

SMI team hiking

In addition to team exercises and discussions, the retreat provided opportunities to relax and unwind among colleagues. Employees went golfing, kayaking, hiking, or sluicing. Leisure activities provided an opportunity for bonding and enjoying the beautiful Sunday River scenery. And new approaches to problem-solving were inspired by the outdoor setting.

Ben Siegel, Information Systems Manager, said, “I felt that it was great to be outdoors, and we even discussed work opportunities as the morning’s activity was fresh in our minds! It was great to be discussing work topics without feeling pressured to do so and while in a pleasant environment. It sparked a lot of discussion, some work and some personal, and I feel that we not only learned more about each other, but also came up with some ideas for how to better help our clients in the future.”

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When it comes to audience targeting, nimbleness, and reach–the evidence is clear: audio advertising is a wise investment.  

That being said, marketing managers are more often forced to justify ad spend with ever increasing returns on investment. Budget and talent constraints–no matter how remarkable your product or service is–often put your brand at a disadvantage when it comes to breaking through the noise and seeing any meaningful ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) so relying on great creative alone is not enough. A multifaceted approach is paramount.

In order to launch, scale, and optimize a campaign for success, strategizing where and when your ad is heard is critical.

A group of gears stacked on each other

We Have the Expert Infrastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation.

influencers streaming a podcast at college radio station

We Have the Expert Infrastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation.

A group of gears stacked on each other

We have the Expert Infastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation. 

 

 

influencers streaming a podcast at college radio station

Collaboration Yields Results

Senior Media Buyer, Pam Wolfgram underscores the importance of our industry relationships:  

“Our media partners are exactly that: partners. They have a vested interest in helping us help our clients; it means more business! Even if they have to take it on the chin here and there for a client’s success–and they do–they know they’ll make it up in the long game, as we will send them every schedule that makes sense down the road. They want to work hard for us and for our clients.

As an example, we recently orchestrated a massive creative change affecting over 600 stations and it had to go off without a hitch, as “hitches” are mistakes that lead not only to credits being taken, but also to skewed results that make a test difficult to read. I reached out to every rep impacted by the change to express the importance of the test and walked away feeling completely at ease knowing that they were going to get with their traffic people and watch over the test like hawks. A little extra communication goes a long way!” 

All of SMI’s media buyers, researchers, and strategists have something in common: they know firsthand the value of respectful dialogue and perseverance. 

The motto of our Media team? 

There's always a workable solution to get meaningful return on ad spend. 

If you’re ready to invest more wisely in your audio advertising, start a conversation with us today! 

This is part one of SMI’s three-part series called Give Your Brand a Voice. Stay tuned for our next article focused on Creative! 

    facebook
    twitter
    linkedin
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[/et_pb_column]

When it comes to audience targeting, nimbleness, and reach–the evidence is clear: audio advertising is a wise investment.  

That being said, marketing managers are more often forced to justify ad spend with ever increasing returns on investment. Budget and talent constraints–no matter how remarkable your product or service is–often put your brand at a disadvantage when it comes to breaking through the noise and seeing any meaningful ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) so relying on great creative alone is not enough. A multifaceted approach is paramount.

In order to launch, scale, and optimize a campaign for success, strategizing where and when your ad is heard is critical.

A group of gears stacked on each other

We Have the Expert Infrastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation.

influencers streaming a podcast at college radio station

We Have the Expert Infrastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation.

A group of gears stacked on each other

We have the Expert Infastructure

In addition to SMI’s dedicated Creative and Analytics teams, our media buyers and strategists have deep industry relationships and format connections.  

Our Media team works in tandem with Client Services to understand the target demographics and geographical considerations alongside the short and long-term goals of our clients. Their combined expertise, in collaboration with our Analytics team, allows us to be vigilant in evaluating and communicating campaign performance in real time.  

Because our buyers and strategists have built and nurtured relationships with stations, agencies, and shows–we are also able to pivot precisely and aggressively if need be. Even in the days of such potent technology and automation, sometimes a format or rate adjustment simply comes down to the power of a well-handled telephone conversation. 

 

 

influencers streaming a podcast at college radio station

Collaboration Yields Results

Senior Media Buyer, Pam Wolfgram underscores the importance of our industry relationships:  

“Our media partners are exactly that: partners. They have a vested interest in helping us help our clients; it means more business! Even if they have to take it on the chin here and there for a client’s success–and they do–they know they’ll make it up in the long game, as we will send them every schedule that makes sense down the road. They want to work hard for us and for our clients.

As an example, we recently orchestrated a massive creative change affecting over 600 stations and it had to go off without a hitch, as “hitches” are mistakes that lead not only to credits being taken, but also to skewed results that make a test difficult to read. I reached out to every rep impacted by the change to express the importance of the test and walked away feeling completely at ease knowing that they were going to get with their traffic people and watch over the test like hawks. A little extra communication goes a long way!” 

All of SMI’s media buyers, researchers, and strategists have something in common: they know firsthand the value of respectful dialogue and perseverance. 

The motto of our Media team? 

There’s always a workable solution to get meaningful return on ad spend. 

If you’re ready to invest more wisely in your audio advertising, start a conversation with us today! 

This is part one of SMI’s three-part series called Give Your Brand a Voice. Stay tuned for our next article focused on Creative! 

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    twitter
    linkedin
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