News

The Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency BusinessVoice won five awards for creative and advertising excellence at the 2011 ADDY Awards, presented by the Advertising Club of Toledo, a local affiliate of the American Advertising Federation. The awards were announced at the ADDY Awards ceremony, which was held February 24, 2011 at the Stranahan Theatre Great Hall in Toledo, Ohio.

BusinessVoice earned two Gold ADDY Awards, two Silver ADDY Awards, and one of only three Judge's Choices Awards. Four of the wins were for humorous On Hold Marketing productions, and one was a humorous self-promotional online video for its in-house web company.

Why Use Humor On Hold? 

"We've had great success using humor on hold for our clients," said BusinessVoice Creative Director Scott Greggory. "Our first goal when applying funny content is to get the audience's attention. We know that callers can focus on other tasks or slip into a 'zombie stare' while they're on hold rather than listening to the On Hold Messaging, so we work to snap them out of it, and pull them in with humor. Once they're engaged, we can slip in the client's marketing message. And that message goes down a lot easier when it's wrapped in humor."

Greggory says BusinessVoice has earned more than 100 industry awards for creative and marketing excellence from local, regional, national and international competitions. No company in the On Hold Marketing industry can come close to that achievement, he says. In fact, BusinessVoice has also won more of the On Hold Messaging Association's MARCE awards than any other member company.

In explaining why he chose one of the BusinessVoice entries to receive a Judge's Choice Award, one ADDY judge wrote, "This piece rocks! The writing is key for any audio, print or visual advertising, especially for audio since it doesn't get an assist from pictures. The writing - and the delivery of the voice talent - made this piece stand out. In fact, both submissions from this entrant were creative, entertaining and, most importantly, informative. [The entry] elicited giggles and guffaws [from all judges]. I wanted to call the number and be put on hold, the stuff was so good. The key for me when it comes to audio is to entertain, then inform. Well done!"

Listen to the Award-Winning On Hold Messaging

To listen to the humorous On Hold Messaging that won the Judge's Choice ADDY Award, click here.

To listen to the humorous On Hold Messaging that won a Gold ADDY Award, click here.

To watch the 30-second online video that won a Silver ADDY Award, click here.

If your marketing efforts are only aimed at your customers' eyes and ears, you're missing an important target: their noses.

Most marketing strategies only appeal to the consumers' vision and hearing. That makes for a visually crowded and noisy marketplace, and intense competition for consumer attention is one of the reasons many marketing pieces fail to make a substantial impact.

By adding Aroma Marketing to your mix, you not only support your other marketing efforts, you make lasting impressions on your consumers via their sense of smell, a pathway to the brain that remains largely unexplored by marketers.

Aroma Marketing is an effective method for appealing to consumers for several reasons:

Scents don't have to pass through the filter of consciousness. While visual displays can be tuned out or glossed over, people don't chose to smell or not smell. Aromas are taken in and processed involuntarily.

Many studies have concluded that the sense of smell plays a critical role in the creation, storage, and retrieval of memories. This is because the olfactory bulb - the part of the brain responsible for odor processing - is located right next to the part that controls memory. A specific scent in your facility can trigger positive memories for your customers. They will then link that good smell and the good feeling to your brand. It's a phenomenon known as Emotional Anchoring.

Pleasant aromas in a store cause shoppers to linger up to 40% longer, and the longer they linger, the more likely they are to buy.

And there are other benefits. Aroma Marketing can:

• Enhance mood and create excitement
• Stimulate the brain and make a person feel awake and refreshed
• Trigger desires and emotions
• Decrease anxiety

BusinessVoice Aroma Marketing programs include a professional-grade micro-mist diffusion system that works in combination with cold-air technology to distribute scents. Rated "the best product on the market by far" in independent studies by International Flavors and Fragrances, this system preserves the integrity of the aroma oils and delivers long-lasting scent to any size room.

For more details on Aroma Marketing, please call Valerie Likens at 866/473-9000, extension 344.

Your company can now provide your callers on hold with an even more positive and diverse experience - and enjoy many marketing benefits as a result - thanks to the BusinessVoice News Network (BVNN).

Developed by BusinessVoice, the nation's leading Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency, the BVNN delivers current news headlines and other topical information to your callers on hold via your BusinessVoice On Hold Marketing system.

The BusinessVoice News Network team uses a high-speed Internet connection to download three stories into your system each weekday. Those stories are automatically mixed with your existing On Hold Marketing content, and then played for your callers on hold throughout the day during specific points in your On Hold Marketing production.

The Benefits of the BusinessVoice News Network

The BusinessVoice News Network makes a great impression on your callers. Not only will they enjoy the interesting and timely information, they'll appreciate that you make even better use of the time they spend on hold.

The diverse content appeals to a broad demographic range, which keeps a greater percentage of your callers engaged. In addition to "harder" news, BVNN story categories include major sports and entertainment headlines, recent survey results and business news, as well as the latest from the worlds of technology, personal finance, leisure, health and wellness, and other arenas.

The BusinessVoice News Network delivers content changes five days a week (Monday through Friday). That's especially beneficial if your company's customers call frequently. They're sure to enjoy the daily updates.

And while your callers are drawn in by the unique appeal of the BVNN content, your company still reaps the advantages of your customized On Hold Marketing from BusinessVoice. The two work together in a no-touch system that delivers maximum benefit to your company.

A Lot of Bang for the Buck!

The BusinessVoice News Network is very affordable. For about what you'd pay for a daily newspaper, you can treat your callers to fresh, interesting content each weekday.

Click here to learn more or to subscribe to the BusinessVoice News Network, or call 866/473-9000 and ask for Valerie Likens at extension 344.

After just 60 days, the new Mountain View Tire website (www.MountainViewTire.com) was already responsible for a tremendous increase in unique phone calls to the company's 29 southern California tire and automotive service stores. The site was designed and built by BusinessVoice and then launched on August 30, 2010.

"In just the first two months it was online, we saw a 55% jump in calls to phone numbers that are only listed on the website," said Mountain View Tire Vice President Chris Mitsos. "And the number of daily requests for estimates has risen 150%! This site is getting found and people are responding to it." In fact, the site is attracting 67% more unique visitors than Mountain View Tire's old website. So, yes, the new site built by BusinessVoice is indeed getting found.

In the month of September alone, 758 coupons were printed from the new website; 1,096 coupons were printed in October, an increase of 44.5% in just one month.

The site's new Tire Selector attracted 3,103 unique views in September, and then 4,483 unique views in October, a 44.4% one-month increase.

In addition to its search engine-friendly construction, the site is supported by an ongoing Website Marketing program, which includes regular keyword-rich blog posts, an active Facebook page, and monthly content updates to the site itself, all of which attract the attention of search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, and present Mountain View as a valuable car care resource to human visitors.

"We've worked with BusinessVoice for more than five years now on our On Hold Marketing program," wrote Mitsos, "and I am very excited to be working with their team on managing our new site."

Mitsos added, "The guys at BusinessVoice worked tirelessly to give us exactly what our vision was for our website, and once again, they hit a home run."

For more details, call BusinessVoice at 866/473-9000.

Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency BusinessVoice and its in-house website development agency have been recognized by the advertising and marketing industries once again.

In late October, BusinessVoice received a 2010 Gold MarCom Award and an Honorable Mention Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The agency won the Gold Award for the humorous On Hold Marketing production it created for itself, and the Honorable Mention for the funny On Hold Marketing created for Walter's Goodyear, an automotive service center located in Mission Viejo, California.

Then, on November 15th, BusinessVoice received several awards at the Business of Communications annual Crystal Awards ceremony. BusinessVoice won a pair of Crystal Awards of Excellence and one Award of Merit for the three humorous On Hold Marketing productions they entered. The team also took home four Merit Awards for two websites, a series of online videos, and an identity package.

BusinessVoice has been helping clients increase their customer share since 1989. The agency provides customized Point-Of-Entry Marketing services, including Aroma Marketing, Point-Of-Purchase Audio, On Hold Marketing, and an on hold news and information service called the BusinessVoice News Network. For more details, please visit www.BusinessVoice.com or call 866/473-9000.  

For the second consecutive year, BusinessVoice was the only agency to win two of the five MARCE Awards presented at the On Hold Messaging Association’s annual conference. The awards ceremony was held in San Diego, March 20th, 2010.

The MARCE Awards recognize those On Hold Messaging (OHM) providers who demonstrate “Marketing and Creative Excellence” in their OHM entries. BusinessVoice received two Judge’s Choice Awards this year; one for Discount Parts Exchange; the other for Amazing Space.

“The on hold messaging for Discount Parts Exchange has a great mix of humor and relevant information,” wrote Mike Kurtz from the University of Dayton’s Media Production Group about his selection for the Judge’s Choice award. “Even though I have never had any contact with Discount Parts Exchange, I already have a positive image of them. Their production creates an image of a friendly and helpful organization. The voice talent is excellent and seems to be a great fit for their target audience. The messages are short and intermixed with music so that they do not overwhelm the listener. I wouldn't mind being on hold with this production.”

Dave Savage, Station Branding Manager for the Clear Channel radio group, selected the Amazing Space On Hold Messaging for his Judge’s Choice Award. “Love the concept,” commented Savage. “On the surface it seems like normal, everyday on hold messaging, but what the voiceover is saying is VERY different. Great idea!”

BusinessVoice has won more than 70 local, regional and national awards for creative and marketing excellence. Since 1989 the agency has helped clients increase their customer share with customized Point-Of-Entry Marketing services, including Point-Of-Purchase Audio, Website Design and Development, On Hold Messaging, and others. For more details, please visit www.BusinessVoice.com or call 866/473-9000.

The Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency BusinessVoice won two Crystal Awards of Excellence at the November 17, 2009 Crystals gala, presented by the Association for Women in Communications. BusinessVoice received one award for the On Hold Marketing they created for COR Packaging and Box, as well as five merit awards.

The team also won a Crystal for their creation of the American Warming and Venting website.  

The Crystal Awards honor Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan communications professionals for excellence in advertising, collateral materials, design, digital media, industry self-promotion, photography, public relations, TV / radio, and writing for news or P.R. The Crystal Awards are presented by the Toledo Professional Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications and also by Business of Communications.

Throughout 2009, BusinessVoice is celebrating 20 years of helping clients increase customer share. The agency provides customized Point-Of-Entry Marketing services, including Point-Of-Purchase Audio, Website Design and Development, and On Hold Marketing. Visit www.BusinessVoice.com or call 866/473-9000 for more details.

If you should ever call Walter’s Goodyear in Mission Viejo, California this is the sort of thing you’ll hear while on hold:

“We hear tell that other tire dealers in town only sell large chocolate donuts and try to pass them off as tires. So don’t be fooled. Always bite your tires before buying them. If they’re delicious, they’re not real tires.”

Walter’s humorous On Hold Marketing is created by BusinessVoice, an agency that, once again, has been recognized for its creative and marketing excellence. BusinessVoice has been presented with a 2009 Gold MarCom Award for its Walter’s Goodyear production.

Listen to it here

The international awards competition recognizes outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals. The MarCom Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, an organization which consists of several thousand creative professionals. Nearly 5,000 entries from around the United States and several foreign countries were submitted to the 2009 competition.

For more details, visit www.MarComAwards.com.

BusinessVoice President Jerry Brown has been elected again to the On Hold Messaging Association’s Board of Governors. Mr. Brown was voted onto the board at OHMA’s March 2009 conference in Atlanta.

Brown was the On Hold Messaging Association’s Chairman from 2004 to 2005. He has served as the association’s Vice-Chairman and the Marketing Committee Chairman. He has also served as a speaker at OHMA’s national conferences.

The On Hold Messaging Association is an international organization composed of audio marketing agencies that have joined together for several common purposes, including:

• The advancement of the business community's awareness of On Hold Messaging as a cost-effective marketing tool
• Maintaining the highest service standards
• Sharing ideas and technologies
• Providing members with networking opportunities
• Promoting strict standards of ethical business conduct

Celebrating 20 years in business, BusinessVoice was an early member of OHMA and is a national leader in the On Hold Messaging industry. BusinessVoice won two of the five MARCE Awards for creative and marketing excellence presented at OHMA’s 2009 national conference. For more details, call 866/473-9000.

Any company that stays in business for 20 years owes a lot to the people who buy what it sells. So, when the team at BusinessVoice thought about how they wanted to celebrate their 20th anniversary, they immediately thought of their clients.

“Our clients have contributed so much to our success, so it made sense to celebrate them and all that they’ve done for us,” said BusinessVoice president and founder Jerry Brown. The agency will be adding one client profile and audio sample per month to its website to showcase how each client has grown and prospered over the years, and how BusinessVoice has helped them succeed.

Founded in 1989, BusinessVoice is Point-Of-Entry Marketing agency that serves about 6,000 client locations across North America. They provide On Hold Marketing, Point-Of-Purchase Audio, Website Design and Development, and many other services that help their clients increase customer share and retention.