Brooks Adams Research (BAR) has selected Connie Mattox as chief executive officer of the company. Mattox, a former research consultant for BAR and graduate of the University of Richmond, will assume the role immediately.

"We considered external candidates during the initial search for our company's CEO," said partner/co-owner Robert Adams Sr. "Connie's extensive background as a market researcher and her expertise in consumer behavior research, her understanding of business dynamics in our industry, as well as her reputation as a trusted leader in the field made her the right choice to lead this company."

"By moving Connie into this position, she will be able to oversee the day-to-day operations of Brooks Adams Research during this time of growth," said company partner and co-owner Sharon Brooks. "This shift will afford Rob Adams more time to dedicate to cultivating client relations and utilizing his knowledge and experience to not only support BAR, but also its affiliated marketing company – SB&A Integrated Marketing – where he serves as vice president."

"I am honored to have been chosen to lead this company," said Mattox. "And Brooks Adams Research is well positioned to be the go-to authority on consumer research. We have the capabilities, the right values and culture, as well as the unwavering dedication of the owners, Rob Adams and Sharon Brooks."

As research consultant, Mattox used qualitative techniques aimed at uncovering emotional tensions, nontraditional focus group design, consumer profiling, observational research, product testing, satisfaction studies and more to conduct studies in hygiene, household care, beauty care, food and food services, and 50+ shopper and senior living industries.

"My goal in this new position as CEO is to refocus BAR's efforts and attention on those core capabilities: to expand on them to include new research techniques that will create a more innovative suite of quality products and services that are offered to existing and prospective clients," said Mattox. "This will be an exciting time as BAR looks to the future, and I am excited to be a part of it."

Richmond, Virginia. It's been the focus of some of our country's most important history. It's a place where culture and diversity strike a unique balance with beauty and Southern charm. Residents of Richmond, or those who have visited, might know it for any or all of these qualities. However, Richmond is also home to a thriving creative community, which often goes unnoted.

Visual arts, writing, film, music and other communications play immense roles in defining the culture of Richmond. In fact, the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of the Arts, located in the heart of Richmond, was ranked the number one public university school of arts and design in the country by U.S. News & World Report (2010).

With such a focus on creativity and communications, it should come as no shock that Richmond is also something of an advertising hub. It's home to ad and marketing agencies of every shape and size—local and national, broadly reaching and specifically focused. Per capita, it even has more advertising agencies than most U.S. cities. So for some, Richmond is simply synonymous with advertising.

Why is advertising such a big piece of Richmond's culture? There are certainly many reasons. But one important factor would have to be the fact that the VCU Brandcenter, the School of Mass Communication's graduate program in advertising, has also been ranked first in the nation by Creativity magazine and as one of the top 60 design schools in the world by BusinessWeek. Considering this, it's no wonder that Richmond both produces and attracts great talent in the advertising world.

The advertising spotlight has shone on Richmond many times throughout the years and this year is no exception. The Martin Agency, Richmond's largest ad agency, which has produced highly recognizable campaigns for clients like GEICO and Wal-Mart, was named "U.S. Agency of the Year" in 2009 by Adweek and was listed as a top-ten, A-List Standout by Ad Age in 2011.

Of course, there are a wide variety of award-winning agencies in Richmond, in every type of category. So when you think "Richmond," certainly think of history, culture, beauty and Southern charm. Just don't forget to think "advertising," too.

Listen! Sales people have two ears and one mouth for a reason. If you think selling means "talking people into buying," you need to re-think. In truth, we LISTEN people into making a buying decision. Listen to the words, to what is said, and to what is not said. Listen to the tone and the inflection, and watch the body language. Listen between the lines. By listening you may find a piece of information that leads you to understand what is most important to a prospect or what might be keeping a prospect from making the move to buy. Better yet, as a result of your listening, a prospect may come to an understanding on his or her own that helps that person make progress toward moving to your community.

1. Whitney Center E-Blast

TARGET AUDIENCE – Whitney Center's lead base of prospective residents.

MARKETING OBJECTIVE – To drive people to the website, to inform prospective residents that the Renaissance Expansion is underway and will be finished in the fall of 2011, and to show leads an interactive video of the new expansion's amenities and a time-lapse movie of the construction process.

MARKETING STRATEGY – The email blast included links to a time-lapse video of the construction process, a hard-hat tour of the site and a sneak peak of the virtual reality video that presents the completed Renaissance Expansion. The blast seeks to increase traffic to the website, to show prospects that the construction process is happening quickly and will be completed soon, and to create urgency among potential buyers. Finally, the email asks prospects to come in for a real-time tour to see both the progress of the construction and the wonderful amenities that are already in place at Whitney Center.

RESULTS – The view rates and click-through rates were excellent. Numerous people took the time to watch the videos and to contact the marketing information center.

TARGET AUDIENCE – Age- and Income-qualified leads and prospects defined as those 55 and better in age.

MARKETING OBJECTIVE – To have age- and-income-qualified leads attend K. Hovnanian's® Grand Opening event showcasing four new decorated and furnished model homes, and to move each prospect up in the sales pipeline.

MARKETING STRATEGY – The team invited leads to a Grand Opening event where they can see four of the eleven new homes that the builder is bringing to this Active Adult lifestyle community. The timing of the event in January played on the idea of a warm welcome for event attendees and the new model homes. The event offered the incentive of lunch, a fun event with prizes and free admission at the Viniterra Golf club during the Grand Opening weekend.

RESULTS – The team expected to have 200 people at the event based on RSVP count, and 400 individuals showed up to get a taste of the New Kent Vineyards lifestyle. The sales team increased their lead base as well as their number of "A" leads. These results are not only a tribute to the campaign, but also due to K. Hovnanian's® investment in market presence over the long haul.

TARGET AUDIENCE – Age- and-income-qualified leads in the Primary Market Area.

MARKETING OBJECTIVE – To move leads/prospects toward sales in the pipeline, and to generate new leads.

MARKETING STRATEGY – Las Ventanas' compelling ad campaign inspires prospects to come and see what the community has to offer in retirement. The campaign also highlights various residents to showcase the character of people living at Las Ventanas and to offer insights into the characteristics that empowered these residents to make the wise decision to move to the community.

RESULTS – This ad campaign has resulted in increased leads, appointments and sales. In addition, Las Ventanas has seen PR coverage in the Las Vegas Review Journal among other publications. One featured resident has been asked to be a presenter at speaking engagements on behalf of the community and, finally, visiting prospects have specifically inquired about the residents in the ad campaign and their accomplishments.

>> View PDF    >> View PDF    >> View PDF

TARGET AUDIENCE – Covenant Woods' leads/prospects visiting the community.

MARKETING OBJECTIVE – To portray the coming expansion of Covenant Woods to prospects and to move leads in the pipeline toward sales.

MARKETING STRATEGY – The "Field Guide" includes photographs of wildlife and flowers, as well as illustrations of the coming expansion/amenities and images of the planned expansion to the Covenant Woods 75-acre campus. These images help tell the story of the community and entice prospects to see more. The guide also has a glossary of terms that further explains the benefits of making the best plan for the future to retire at Covenant Woods. Lastly the direct mail piece included a Business Reply Card that prospects could send in to schedule a field day, which is an appointment where prospects tour the community and learn more about what Covenant Woods has to offer.

RESULTS – The Covenant Woods sales team has utilized the "Field Guide" at events and has doubled its lead to appointment conversion rate by 50%. Numerous individuals have also taken the time to call and compliment the overall look and feel of the piece.