DISTINCTIVELY
DIFFERENT custom media. research. consulting.
Custom Media
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Research
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Consulting
STRATTON PUBLISHING & MARKETING INC.
ONE-OF-A-KIND PERSPECTIVE:
“I don’t think anybody has as much experience as Stratton does. Stratton’s the pro—the firm has seen it all.” —Chris Mahaffey, CAE Executive Director American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Chicago, IL
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… Depth Of Knowledge
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Breadth Of Experience
| Our Focus On Your Needs
t Stratton Publishing & Marketing, we tackle communication challenges of all kinds—whether it’s publishing a traditional magazine, blasting out multiple e-newsletters, or engaging your audience 140 characters at a time through social media.
content quality, reducing expenses, and expanding advertising revenues through integrated print/online platforms.
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Stratton is the leader in providing consultation and custom media, marketing, and research for trade and professional associations, universities, and corporations. Far from being a mega-sized firm that cranks out cookie-cutter communications and strategies, we’re a boutique-style practice that always takes a customized approach. We excel at making the most of your resources. We’re experts at streamlining operations, upgrading
Our distinct differences can fill your unique needs because: Stratton’s knowledge goes deep. Having worked with hundreds of organizations over the years, we bring first-hand understanding of your special needs. We can ensure a synergy of ideas and approaches plus competitive pricing on custom media services. And after more than two decades of conducting rigorous communication and market research, we make it our business to provide strategies that help an operation like yours become indispensable to readers and efficient for staff.
STRATTON DELIVERS: “Stratton
staff are highly professional and easy to work with. Whatever they say they’ll do, they do it and do it well. There’s never any question that things will get done on time and within budget.”
—Marilee C. Rist, former Associate Executive Director of Communications Constituent Services, Marketing, and Publications National School Boards Association Alexandria, VA
Stratton’s experience is broad. Among our smallest clients is a six-person trade association for which we provide start-to-finish custom print and digital magazine and e-newsletter publishing. Among our largest is a 400,000-member professional society seeking to expand its market share and grow nondues revenues with a new sales strategy and communications plan. Whatever your size, you get the benefit of unrivaled experience in boosting readership, product mix, and the bottom line.
Stratton understands the big picture but masters the little details. We never take our eyes off every communicator’s foremost goal: to truly matter to your readers, whether they check you out on paper or their iPad. But we also focus on the deceptively small things that will make you a very satisfied client. We listen carefully to what you tell us. We deliver what you ask for. And we come in on budget, on time, every time.
The Stratton Story Stratton Publishing & Marketing has brought its distinctive difference to more than 250 organizations over the years, delivering services one client at a time. It all began in 1984, when Debra J. Stratton, building on a successful career as a publishing executive, perceived a market need for highquality publication management and related services. That initial concept grew into a fully integrated print/digital custom media, consulting, and research firm that serves the unique needs of trade and professional associations, universities, and corporations. Today Stratton’s multi-talented team consists of professionals who’ve worked in organizations just like the ones we serve. As proud as we are of our track record, we’re also constantly looking forward. We develop strategies that use the latest in print, electronic, social, and digital media. And we stay on top of the next new offering so our clients can take advantage of what works best in the rapidly changing world of communications. President Debra Stratton
STRATTON MAKES YOU SHINE: “Whenever
I have a challenging communications project that I can put in a box, tie on a bow, and send to Stratton, I know I’ll get a terrific product in return. One of many such projects is Assisted Living Executive magazine, our association magazine, produced by Stratton that is the premier publication in our industry.” —Richard P. Grimes President & CEO Assisted Living Federation of America Alexandria, VA
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… Smart Publishing And Marketing
Smart: Letting our team create
n Launch, relaunch, or produce
quality content and design so you won’t have to sweat it yourself. n
Smarter:
Accessing our deep experience and fresh expertise to market your integrated advertising programs, your audience development efforts, and even your conferences.
Smartest: Asking us to back up your strategies with market and audience research your leaders will find convincing and your market will find truly valuable. Stratton’s custom media services save you time, money, and stress by providing the services you need, when you need them, without taking you away from your core focus. We have the expertise to do any or all of the following:
n n n n
n n n
your magazine or newsletter, in print, digital, and online format Provide lively, high-quality and reader-focused editorial and contemporary design Streamline your operations and maximize your resources Integrate print/digital communications for the maximum mix Develop and implement your digital and social media strategy Jump-start your ad sales and marketing, and build integrated packages to support your communications Create persuasive marketing collateral, including media kits Market your conferences, products, and services Free you from recruiting and retaining content and design talent
Projects with Panache: Stratton’s portfolio includes custom-published magazines and convention programs, including conference Web sites and program guides.
If Smart Publishing sounds familiar, you may already receive Stratton’s popular quarterly newsletter. If you don’t, just contact us and we’ll sign you up for a free subscription—in print and in digital format. Either way you read it, Smart Publishing delivers ideas, strategies, and solutions on the business of publishing and communications —and demonstrates the caliber of smart content and lively design we can create for you.
Smart
Publishing
Design Innovation: Redesign of newsletters and other publications, plus dynamic Web design, is all part of the Stratton portfolio.
Custom Media
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… A Business Approach To Publishing
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t’s a do-more-with-less world. And that’s a challenge. Let Stratton Publishing & Marketing help you make a difference. Because we produce custom media every day, we know how to make your operation more cost-effective, identify creative new product areas, and improve your bottom line.
Keep in mind that when we say “custom media,” we really mean custom—developed to suit your specific requirements. You can contract for just the services you need without paying extra for ones you don’t want. Call us to talk about ongoing, full-service operations or special projects. Your organization will get practical expertise from professionals whose job is to keep up with today’s rapid—and often confusing—changes in content delivery. Your audience will get must-read content in formats that suit their needs. Your reader engagement will expand and your financial returns will improve. And you will get credit for communications that deliver for your audience as well as your organization’s bottom line.
STRATTON BUILDS REVENUES: “Stratton
is known for business-like publishing. When I hired the firm to publish our magazine, Transaction Trends, I wanted to start by building our magazine’s editorial credibility and then run the operation like a for-profit enterprise. The difference is astonishing—now we’re getting to pay dirt.” —Carla Balakgie Chief Executive Officer Electronic Transactions Association Washington, DC
Research
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… Insight You Can Put To Work
W
hen you want to attract more readers, sell more ads, or track changing audience preferences, you’ll probably locate lots of firms that will give you survey data. But Stratton gives you more than data. We give you intelligence.
STRATTON GOES BEYOND NUMBERS: “Other
research firms I’ve worked with just gave us a report. Stratton did expert analysis. The research went beyond numbers. It gave us insight.”
After conducting quantitative or qualitative studies, we perform rigorous analysis. We then interpret what the numbers mean, compare
—Katie Domanowski Senior Manager, Publishing American Academy of Dermatology Chicago, IL Market Intelligence:
All Stratton research features clear findings and advice on how to use them.
your data with your peers’, and identify specific next steps for improvement in the short and long term. That means you get: n Context. Thanks to 25-plus
years of research experience, we can show you how your findings compare to other organizations’ depth of readership, usefulness ratings, reactions to advertising, and much more. n Results you can put to work immediately. We’ll even turn your numbers into pithy selling points and effective marketing tools for you. n A report that’s refreshingly clear and easy to use. What you get in our Stratton Report is neither too much (no heavy tomes that gather dust on the shelf) nor too little (no simplistic PowerPoints that leave you wishing for more).
“Every association thinks it is particularly nuanced, which is why we noticed that Stratton was REALLY LISTENING. They understood our challenges and helped us tap our potential. Their recommendations and then our results were on target because they were such good listeners.”
STRATTON’S FOCUS IS YOU:
—Joan Melner Assistant Executive Director Marketing and Communications Services Council for Exceptional Children Arlington, VA
Stratton conducts Web- and mail-based studies, focus groups, telephone surveys, and organizational research. We offer: n Reader feedback research n Advertiser perception research n Market research n Digital engagement research n Communications-mix research n Information needs research n Competitive market research n Custom industry research n Buying power/purchasing
involvement research n Member engagement research n Nonmember perception research n Performance benchmarks
Have you conducted reader feedback research in the last two years? Do you use it to update and energize your editorial calendar instead of just covering the same old topics? Do your advertisers feel they have market data that reflects today’s readers? Do arguments you make to higher-ups convince them of the need for change? If your answer to these questions is no, call Stratton today. We can provide the insight and the data-driven strategies to help you succeed.
Benchmark Data: Angerosa research enriches Stratton projects.
Another Stratton Difference: The Angerosa Research Foundation To enrich the data you use to engage your members and build your business, the Stratton-affiliated Angerosa Research Foundation conducts industry-wide research on publishing benchmarks, e-publishing trends, and social media. Founded by Stratton in 2003, the nonprofit foundation brings even more depth of experience from the association world to your projects. The Angerosa Foundation also helps Stratton give back to the publishing community through Rising Star scholarships and Publishing Trendsetter awards. Find out more from www.Stratton Publishing.com/AngerosaFound.html.
Consulting
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… Expertise That Brings Smart Solutions To Your Toughest Challenges STRATTON GENERATES RESULTS: “Stratton took the
time to really understand our unique needs and goals and worked with us to develop a much stronger sales strategy that incorporates both print and online advertising opportunities. And now, we are seeing a strong return on our investment.”
—Rob Kurek Director of Publications Academy of Model Aeronautics Model Aviation and Park Pilot Muncie, IN
“If you’re talking communications audit, you can’t go wrong with Stratton Publishing.”
—Kathleen Rakestraw President Adirondack Communications Vienna, VA
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hat’s the right mix of digital and printed content for your audience? How can you get at the root of advertising revenue declines, readership falloff, and threats from your print and digital competitors? And does your audience see your content as must-read—timely, cutting edge, and thoughtprovoking—or easy-to-ignore? Hundreds of clients have turned to Stratton with tough questions and emerged with practical answers about how to align effective communications, organizational goals, and a healthy balance sheet. Come to us for the wealth of advice and counsel you can get from these services:
•S trategic communication assessment and planning • Communications audit • Publication and operations audit • Print/digital needs assessment • Information needs study • Performance benchmarks • Competitive market study •M agazine feasibility study/ business plan development •M agazine repositioning and relaunch • Digital launch • Reader research • Editorial/design critique • Advertiser/market research •A dvertising sales marketing strategic review • Advertising sales operations review • Contract negotiations
STRATTON STRATEGIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE: “I
had a lot of confidence that Stratton would get the information we needed. They have deep experience with association magazines, which gave us better analysis because they know member organizations so well. We definitely used the data and made changes in response to the Stratton study.” —Lisa Junker, former Editor-in-Chief Associations Now American Society of Association Executives Washington, DC
Gain the kind of perspective that comes only from seasoned professionals who know your problems and your potential, all customized to your needs.
And, you can choose from targeted consultation on a specific issue or a broad strategic assessment that will bring new life to your entire operation. Industry Experience: Stratton clients benefit from the firm’s depth of knowledge and unique perspective in Stratton’s Publication Performance Benchmarks.
STRATTON SMART SOLUTIONS: “Thanks
to your thorough analysis of Planning’s advertising program for the American Planning Association, we’ve implemented major changes—recreated our media kit with new positioning data and much improved graphics and photos, realigned the sales territory and hired a new rep, added online advertising sales opportunities, and more. It’s great to see recommendations come to fruition.” —Jeri Parish Advertising Manager Planning Magazine American Planning Association Chicago, IL
THE STRATTON DIFFERENCE IS… Being on a Winning Team When you partner with Stratton Publishing & Marketing, you’re immediately connected with the go-to authority on custom media, research, and consulting. Stratton expertise is regularly featured at professional meetings and in articles, books, listservers, and blogs produced by Association Media & Publishing, Folio, American Society of Association Executives—everywhere savvy publishers gather to exchange ideas. Put our distinctive difference to work for you. Contact Stratton Publishing & Marketing today.
Custom Media
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Research
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Consulting
5285 Shawnee Road, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA 22312-2334 Phone: 703.914.9200 Fax: 703.914.6777 Email: pubpros@strattonpublishing.com www.strattonpublishing.com
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