What is a Portal, and why do businesses need one?

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What is a Portal?A marketing portal is a centralized platform that helps businesses manage their marketing assets, streamline campaigns, and maintain brand consistency. If you have multiple locations, franchisees or a sales team spread throughout the country – it provides tools and resources to ensure marketing efforts are efficient, collaborative, and aligned with overall brand strategy.

It empowers users with faster, more intuitive access to tools for ordering, fulfillment, content customization, and delivery of a wide range of products including commercial print, labels, signage, promotional collateral, packaging, and kits that are completely customizable to the brand.

Within the portal, users can place customized orders, monitor shipments in real-time, view inventory levels, and initiate kit builds. Secure, single point access ensures users maintain brand integrity and quality throughout the entire marketing and e-commerce process.

What is a Portal? What is a Portal?

Here’s a closer look at the key benefits a marketing portal brings to a business:

Centralized Access to Brand Assets

A marketing portal acts as a single source of truth for all brand-related materials, such as logos, templates, guidelines, and digital assets. This ensures teams have easy access to the latest versions of everything they need, eliminating confusion and duplication.

Improved Brand Consistency

What is a Portal?With all brand assets stored and managed in one place, marketing teams can ensure that materials align with brand guidelines. This helps maintain a cohesive brand identity across all channels, boosting recognition and trust.

Time Savings

By reducing the time spent searching for materials, tracking updates, or clarifying project details, marketing portals free up valuable time. This allows teams to focus on higher-value tasks, such as strategy and creative development.

Cost Savings

With centralized access to assets and tools, a marketing portal minimizes redundancies like recreating materials or purchasing duplicate resources. This can lead to significant cost savings over time.

A marketing portal is an essential tool for many businesses – it improves efficiency, ensures consistency, enhances collaboration, and saves time and money—all while helping teams deliver more effective campaigns. By adopting a marketing portal, businesses can stay more organized and competitive! To learn more, give us a call.

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A label portal might be exactly what you need to take your products to the next level.

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By Kat McDaniel, Principal at MEDiAHEAD

Label PortalsAs a manufacturer, you might be used to communicating with clients over email, phone, and even text messages. But you also probably know how easy it is for projects to get behind or for information to get lost when you don’t have a unified way of managing client interactions and projects.

You may need a label portal!

A label portal can help your customers by pulling together projects, tasks, and communications under one roof.

We are currently building a portal for a chemical company. They needed a personalized portal where their end customers can order customized labels, have them applied to their products, and then shipped out from our warehouse. (Previously, they were printing black laser type on pre-printed labels. It was a time consuming process and the results weren’t up to level of quality our client wants.)

The system we are building for the chemical company allows their customers to go to a new, online portal where they can upload their logo, add text and a phone number, and purchase cases of their products. When we get an order through the portal, we print the labels in 4/C and adhere them to our client’s product. And then ship them out! Our client is so happy because the labels looks so much more professional now.

A label portal enables consistent branding to show off the colors, messaging, and imagery that represent your products. We can infuse labels with some personality and communicate your mission and vision to existing and prospective clients. These custom portals allow your end customers to get more done faster, with the help of automation and streamlined communications.

Would you like to talk about how a custom portal for your company or organization could streamline your processes and ramp up the quality of your existing label solution? Give me a call!

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Gifting strategies could make a difference with your clients and employees.

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Forget giving loyalty points – gifting is the new customer retention strategy. As remote EVERYTHING continues to rise, keeping connected to clients and loved ones will be key.

Gifting companies had record breaking years in 2020 and 2021. 1-800-FLOWERS had record growth, along with startups like &Open and Gracia.

Many of our marketing portal customers have added gifts and merchandise to their sites.

Why Gifting MattersEmployees can order wearables that they want with gifted dollars as a reward for length of employment or going that extra mile.

It’s always a good idea to send “care packages” to employees that are stuck at home and feeling unappreciated. We mailed succulents, candles, Christopher Elbow chocolates and warm fuzzy blankets with personalized cards.

Our latest project is working with a local company to personalize cards that our clients want to send with their gifts that we warehouse here. They have many design templates for birthdays, holidays, Thank You for the Order or Welcome to Your New Home, that we can match up with an appropriate gift that they specify.

Some of our larger companies are adding the feature to their portal so that their salespeople, through their CRM like Salesforce, can send gifts or cards to their clients for special occasions or just because!

If you want to talk more about gifting options through a marketing portal, please give us a call!

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Want to know how to make your customers happy? User experience matters.

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us·er ex·pe·ri·ence

The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.

“if a website degrades the user experience too much, people will simply stay away.”

User Experience

This week, I talked with a client that is building a very large portal for a high-profile customer. After I gave my introduction, she told me that I was the only salesperson that talked about the user experience for her customer. All of the salespeople had talked about equipment, features and how robust the back end was.

Years ago, after we started building portals for customers, they told us that their previous sites were so “clunky” that their customers or employees hated using them and so they didn’t. The original intent of solving the problem with a solution was not working.

We learned to build products with the end user in mind.

It’s our goal to make it easy – on and off in 3 or 4 steps and make them pretty like your website.

Single-sign on, only seeing what you need, pre-determined approval processes, PDF proofs that are legible (not those tiny jpgs) and a great checkout (where you can still make changes), all add up to the EASY button.

We have also helped customers who have too many platforms – no one wants to log into different sites for print, merchandise, wearables, signage and digital. Even if we don’t produce the products – we can build a central, one-stop-shop with multiple vendors.

Marketing Portals Built from Scratch

MEDiAHEAD Marketing PortalsMEDiAHEAD builds all our portals from scratch with software that is constantly updated. Unfortunately, most “out of the box” solutions that are used cannot be modified for a pleasant/user friendly experience.

After 17 years of doing this, there is a lot of competition, but I still think we build the best portals. And our clients enjoy working with us while we figure out the best solution for them.

People always wonder how a small company like ours has such huge clients – I think it’s because we make our clients and their users happy.

Would you like to see how we can make you happy with a marketing portal? Let’s talk.

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Why did IT Matters, JEDunn and Hawaiian Bros work with us for their marketing portals?

MEDiAHEAD Marketing Portals60% of marketers have indicated they are set to increase their marketing technology spending in the next 12 months.

Investments in marketing platforms or portals are directly related to our working from anywhere.

Online portals help marketers streamline their processes and take a systematic approach to their day-to-day activities. Giving employees access to a portal that allows them to produce their own business cards, download a logo, a presentation or any repetitive task can be a huge timesaver for marketing departments.

As remote work becomes more commonplace, access to this technology makes it easier for teams to share marketing assets, regardless of physical location.

Without question, our marketing portal offers notable benefits to companies and their sales team.

MEDiAHEAD Marketing PortalsWhen your sales team is distributed, synchronized communication becomes more difficult. With a customized portal, team members that are geographically distributed and even in other time zones have access to all the marketing materials that have been updated by your marketing team. It’s an immediate response for them if they need to download a presentation or a PDF of the product they’re pitching.

The tightening of budgets is also a direct result of COVID-19. Marketers need to manage their budgets closely, adapt to reductions in staff and make strategic cuts. In an environment where efficiency is paramount, the right platform can help provide insights into what the sales team wants, and can help illuminate the best path forward.

Building a marketing asset portal can help your sales team create a loyal and profitable customer base with the tools they need… all in one place.

Let us buy you a cup of coffee. We’ll show you examples of how we’ve helped marketing teams save time and money, and most importantly, stay on brand!

MEDiAHEAD Marketing Portals

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Making New Team Members Feel Welcome

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Most employees decide within 10 days whether they’ll stay, and 33% of new employees quit within their first six months.

What are you doing to make your new employees feel welcome?

New Team Member AppreciationWe recently completed a project for a large company here in Kansas City. They wanted to congratulate their new hires who were graduating from college and make them feel excited prior to their first day at work.

We mailed kits in a branded box with their new business cards, personalized notepads, a customized pen and a yeti water bottle. There was also a customized Happy Graduation card personalized with their name and department signatures.

We’ve done welcome kits with candles, baby succulents (so cute), company t-shirts and gear. This is also something that can be added to one of our marketing portals, so HR or the department head can execute in minutes.

Communication is so important!

Communication helps ensure that new team members feel excited about starting their new career with your company.

New Team Member AppreciationYou should have the new hire paperwork completed prior to their first day. Be considerate and send important information for them to review in advance. Reading the company handbook, knowing their benefits and having information on their other team members is important. Even now more than ever, because so many of us are working from home and our only interaction is through Zoom.

You could even send out an email with their picture and a short bio to team members, so they can be welcomed with a smile during Zoom meetings. And you could ask the new employee to help you with their bio by including some fun, personal facts about them.

Retention is the new acquisition.

Make sure new employees know how much you appreciate them joining your company. And if you need any help, you know where to find us. 🙂

New Team Member Appreciation

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Customize and Print your RFPs On Demand with our Web-to-Print Portals!

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Michele StillwellBy Michele Stillwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD

You need that RFP ASAP! Let us help you with that. We are your partner who can meet your critical needs and have the tools and the equipment to get it done.

RFP = Request for Proposal

Several of our large clients already have an RFP builder on their Web-to-Print Marketing and Distribution portals. With its build on demand functionality, you are the driver.

Imagine you are sitting in your next meeting with your client. Your RFP is personalized with the portfolios of the pictures of the team that’s going to work on their project. It’s specific to their needs and it’s been printed with their personal pricing page. All the company information is included, and you look like a rock star in your presentation. You might even make them think, “If you can execute your proposal this well, I am sure you can execute our project.”

MEDiAHEAD: On Demand RFP PrintingThe great thing about all this content being on your Web-to-Print portal is efficient customization. When your company data information changes, you (or your marketing team) can make those changes in your portal and BOOM! It’s done. The next time you generate an RFP, your company data sections will be up-to-date. The options are limitless!

Demo?

Unique cover pages, adding your company business information, case studies, company information, cover letter, maps, product data sheets and so much more. With our new digital printing press, we can make that cover page thicker, add spot clear, and many other options that no other press in Kansas City can offer.

WOW. You just made a huge impression on your client!

Many people learn more quickly by seeing something instead of reading about it. Let’s do a demo together! We’ll show you what a Web-to-Print portal is all about and how it can help you win more business. Give us a call at 816-931-7900 or email help@mymediahead.com to see what’s possible.

MEDiAHEAD: On Demand RFP Printing

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Have you ever had access to an online portal for your sales and marketing collateral?

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Michele StillwellBy Michele Stillwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD

When doing a huge amount of research way back in my Corporate Marketing days, one of my tasks was to take on revamping a sales tool. I accepted that challenge with open arms. The current tool the sales team was using wasn’t working for them. We were splitting as a company and we needed to come up with a tool that would work for the new company. The tool would need to support the sales team with collateral and all the other tangible things they needed during the sales cycle.

The first step was to interview the sales team. I needed to understand the pros and cons of the current tool. I needed to know what they liked… and what they were missing. After that process, I had a great list of features a new system would need to provide.

Features Needed in the New Sales System

• Google search functionality
• Ability to customize the sales brochure/collateral/personalize
• Expiration dates for collateral pieces so the sales team wouldn’t be using outdated materials
• Photo library for vertical market segmentation
• Request for Proposal brochure build functionality
• Merchandise ordering
• Sales Kits
• Quick turn time
• Ability to add cost center codes for billing to various departments

Request For Proposal

The second step was to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to several companies around the country. This RFP contained all the requirements for the creation of the new sales tool. The companies were provided due dates to respond to the RFP. And then we started the interview process based on the proposals.

My team and I had a lot of work to do. We interviewed several companies and had them show us their web portals, sales tools and collateral asset management systems. (Several names for the same type of tool.) And then we chose a news sales tool that was perfect! They built the tool for us just the way we wanted it. It had lots of customization and many bells and whistles. This new system also came with a hefty price tag and a huge monthly fee.

Our team went out and trained the sales team in each of our locations. The sales tool housed more than 300 templates, 600 collateral items and supported the Welcome Kits for all our new and existing customers. Plus, we set up an integration with SalesForce. Even better.

So why all this information?

Marketing & Distribution PortalsWhen I went to work for Colormarketing Inc. about 10 years ago, I started out doing some marketing for them, then went into sales, and now I’m doing Marketing and Accounting. As I have evolved, I’ve grown very passionate for this company… not only because of the owner, Kat, whom I truly admire, but for the products we’re selling.

The portal that MEDiAHEAD builds for our clients is fantastic. I know this from my experience in marketing for over 25 years. If you want to purchase a tool off the shelf, then that is what you will get (and pay for.)

Our Marketing collateral web solution is much more than that. It takes everything that the sales team needed from my previous job and double the features. It’s all included in our Marketing Portal system. I’m proud that we’ve developed the best of the best, and I love backing that up during our demos. (Want a demo? Let me know!)

The MEDiAHEAD Marketing Portal

Our tool can do so many things to support your sales team in an efficient and timely way. How? Because we’ve built it from two different tool sets, and we have talented web developers. They’ll never say “no” when asked if something can be done. They always look for a solution. Which is good because that’s what we’re all about.

Does it have Google search functionality? Yes
Can you customize it? Yes
Does it let you put in expiration dates? Yes

All of the above plus so much more.

MEDiAHEAD: Marketing and Distribution PortalsI was amazed when I started working here and started reviewing our Marketing Portal. I found all the features I’d created from scratch in the previous sales support tool. It was right there in front of me in the MEDiAHEAD Marketing Portal. At a fraction of the cost.

It Just Needs to Work

Sales teams need to have access to a tool that they can get in, get the supporting assets they need and go make a darn sale. They can customize, download or print what they need and do it fast. Marketing needs to have the ability to change collateral on the fly. They need to be able to find what they need fast. Nobody has time to waste looking for stuff in a sea of documents, day in day out. I’ve been there, I’ve lived it. Personalization is also key in your marketing approach, let us help you with that. One touch of a button and it’s done.

As the world of sales and marketing continues to evolve, let us help. Everyone has had to learn new methods and processes to conduct sales and marketing efforts, and our Marketing Portal is built to support that effort. Want to know more? Let’s do a virtual coffee or lunch. We would love a chance to make your life easier and earn your business!

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Now, more than ever, you could really use a marketing portal.

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By Michele Stillwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD

Have you ever been looking for that one file and it took you forever to find it? I recently experienced this problem. Picture this: You get art files from someone and rename them. Then you save the files somewhere… A month or two goes by, and guess what? You need that file again.

Searching and searching, you forgot the name of the file. And you forgot where you saved the file. After looking for an hour or so… you finally find it! Whew.

It’s especially frustrating now working from home. Using a remote connection to your company files can be frustrating in itself, let alone trying to find a file.

This is where a marketing collateral asset management tool comes to the rescue.

MEDiAHEAD: Marketing and Distribution PortalsWith an asset management tool, all your collateral is online in a central repository. You can log into your portal site and see your collateral in real-time. Even better, you have the ability to customize the collateral, edit content and download. All at your fingertips.

You can upload anything to the asset management tool: documents, videos, graphics, working files, photo libraries and even physical merchandise. You have the control; it makes finding things super easy.

With a collateral asset management tool, you can:

  • Upload documents quickly and easily
  • Manage version control
  • Archive files that are out of date
  • Allow individual users to edit & customize content while still controlling your branded elements
  • Easily search and find any documents or file by campaign, product targeted audience or any other attribute you choose
  • Order materials digitally or to be printed on-demand and shipped globally
  • Control security access each user receives – what they can view, edit and order, and payment options as well
  • Choose your payment options – including credit card payment, point programs, internal cost center allocations or purchase orders

Brand Control

One thing I learned when working for a large corporation is that brand control is extremely important. When you have an asset management tool, you have control of the continuity of your brand.

There are several other reasons to have such a tool for your sales and marketing team. One stop shopping for your team for client handouts, client gifts and more.

  • You can store your trade show booth and giveaways on your management tool, manage orders for multiple shows in your portal, print customized collateral on-demand for that specific show and ship directly to the location… all from your own desk.
  • Provide turn-key campaigns to channel partners, allowing them to co-brand materials, upload prospect lists and execute marketing or print campaigns all from your asset management tool.
  • Allow your Sales team to easily search and download marketing assets for prospects, and order materials to be shipped out to the field or directly to the client.

Michele StillwellThink about all the time you can save with the organization and efficiency you get in an online marketing portal! Give me a call. I will walk you through one of our portals and show you where you can save time and stay on brand.

For more information, check us out at www.mymediahead.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MEDiAHEAD Welcomes Tepa as Newest Marketing Portal Customer

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By LeRay Warrior, Principal at MEDiAHEAD

As we prepare for operations to ramp up again after the coronavirus lockdown is lifted, we thought we should kick the month of May off with some more positive news. We would like to officially welcome the Tepa companies to the MEDiAHEAD family of clients. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s worth giving you a touch of background on this wonderful group of companies.

Who Are the Tepa Companies?

Tepa Companies LogoThe Tepa companies are wholly-owned independent subsidiaries of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. They have companies that are based across the country in California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, and Texas. The companies operate across a wide variety of business sectors, including construction, environmental services, technology, industrial services, and engineering. They serve federal, state, local, and private-sector clients.

How Are the Tepa Companies Using Their MEDiHEAD Marketing Portal?

The team at MEDiAHEAD had to design a portal solution to ensure that the needs and requirements of the company were met. While the logo is the same, there are several different companies contained with the group, so each company requires its own set of marketing materials.

As a result of them implementing a custom MEDiAHEAD solution, each company can now order their respective business cards, note pads, and much more through one centralized portal. Not only does this make their turnaround time a fraction of what they once were, they can also reduce the costs involved with replenishing marketing supplies.

Tepa Director of Corporate Marketing Thanks MEDiAHEAD

After onboarding with MEDiAHEAD, Kerry Patterson said,

“Tepa came to MEDiAHEAD from an underperforming vendor and WOW have they exceeded our expectations. They went into direct drive to get our Business Portal setup not only offering better service for our staff, but faster turnaround times. Not to mention amazing staff that we love working with.”

How MEDiAHEAD Can Help Your Business with a Customized Marketing Portal

The example of the Tepa companies perfectly illustrates the benefits that can be gained from moving your company over to a centralized online marketing portal.

Firstly, your company will save perhaps the most significant asset you have; time.

By streamlining all marketing assets into one online repository, undertakings such as customizations or updating of information can all be handled in a matter of a few clicks. What’s more, they will instantaneously take effect across the whole organization. Allocated print runs can be turned around in a matter of hours with an order taking a mere matter of seconds to place.

Secondly, you can cut costs by an enormous margin by only printing what you need, when you need it. There’s no need to authorize colossal print runs of marketing materials that are going to be obsolete a few weeks later.

Finally, our browser-based marketing portals allow employees to log in from anywhere in the world to access company marketing materials. Sales reps who’ve secured a last-minute meeting, or a heavily-discounted short-notice spot at a trade show, can log in, view, and download up-to-date marketing materials within minutes.

These are just a few of the benefits the Tepa companies are now able to take advantage of, and it could be the same for your company. If you would like to learn more about how a bespoke MEDiAHEAD online marketing portal could help your business, then don’t hesitate to contact us today.

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