With small businesses as its target customers, The Marketing Department couldn’t have chosen a better location for its start-up suite of marketing services than along the Main Line on Lancaster Avenue in Villanova. Surrounded by small business mavens Staples and Kinko’s, The Marketing Department–as its name implies–is looking to bring business marketing from its traditional stronghold of large office spaces to convenient, storefront locations nationwide.
The company is also looking to simplify marketing in a way that makes it more applicable for small businesses via its full-service, fix-priced model.
“That was part of the plan, to be in the vicinity of businesses that also drew small business foot traffic,” says company Managing Director Matt Cascarino.
The Villanova store, which opened in November, has already given free consultations to about 60 clients. That’s what differentiates the company from large marketing houses–there are no billable hours, no money to be spent on planning or research . All consultations, whether a small business has one or eight, are free.
Cascarino, who left his job as a commercial mortgage lender to help start founder John Cooley’s project, worked at several advertising agencies and has a perspective that covers both realms.
“Small businesses know their business well, they just don’t wear their marketing hat,” he says. “It’s imperative even a small company have a professional and polished look.”
The Marketing Department gets to know its customer’s business during a consultation, then makes recommendations for strategy and creativity, including guidance on execution of branding, advertising, or promotional materials. Of course, this can be both through digital marketing as well as print marketing techniques like thermal binding for booklets, as well as banners, and business card making. The company, which is holding a small business workshop on April 30, is hoping to open two additional sites in Greater Philadelphia before the end of the year with a long-term goal of expanding nationwide.
“The more we grow our business, the more we can serve our customers,” says Cascarino.
Source: Matt Cascarino, The Marketing Department
Writer: Joe Petrucci
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