The Future of Public Relations

Small to Mid-Sized Businesses Turn to Outside Firms for Marketing and PR Assistance in Midst of Economic Slowdown

PR and marketing firm ARL Marketing offers competitive rates and reliable results

With the current economic slowdown affecting businesses throughout the U.S., small to mid-sized organizations are saving money by hiring outside marketing and public relations firms to manage their marketing and communications needs. Hiring outside firms not only saves businesses from having to pay an extra salary, but it also decreases the cost of a larger office space, insurance benefits, payroll taxes, employee vacation, employee management and more.

"With the average salary for an in-house Marketing and Communications Director starting at about $55,000 per year, plus costs for benefits and payroll taxes, we've seen a huge spike in interest in our services," said Andrew Lord, President & Chief Executive Officer of ARL Marketing & Public Relations. "Many of our clients have financially benefited by downsizing their full-time payroll in exchange for hiring an outside company like ours. Plus, our clients know that we're going to work hard to get them the results that they need in order to stay successful in this tricky economy right now. Our business success relies on their business success."

With so many marketing and PR firms on the market right now, finding the right vendor for your business can be tough, notes Lord. Traditionally, some companies have admitted to feeling comfortable hiring big-name firms, even though the rates for services are higher than a smaller company. However, smaller companies may be able to provide the attention and enthusiasm that larger companies cannot muster.

"Based on the inquiries that we're getting for new business, we're finding that companies are tending to favor boutique firms over larger firms," said Lord. "People are concerned about the bottom dollar now. They don't have extra money to spend on a high-dollar, larger PR firm when they know that a smaller firm will tend to work harder and closer with them, especially when the PR or marketing budget is under $10,000."

A monthly ARL Marketing & Public Relations retainer fee ranges from $500 to $1,000, in comparison to larger firms, which can range from $3,000 to $30,000. Plus, Lord notes, all marketing and PR firms have access to the same press contacts and hire staff for the same roles, including account executives, publicists, writers, and graphic designers. Plus, smaller firms may be more flexible when it comes to contract terms and duration. For example, ARL Marketing & Public Relations refines contracts based on client needs - whether it be a 1 to 3 month project, or one year retainer, ARL Marketing & Public Relations can create a campaign that works for both.

What's more, a smaller firm may understand the struggles and concerns of smaller businesses. "We're a small business, so we understand what our clients are going through on a day-to-day basis," said Lord. "Our goal is to make sure that each of our clients gets hands-on attention whenever they call or email us with a need. Our clients know how important they are to us and because of our boutique size, we're able to develop that close relationship with them that they deserve."

New Marketing Campaign for ARL Marketing & Public Relations

Thanks to Hotspots! Magazine, we have started a new ad campaign to go along with a new campaign that we are launching to help small business owners in the community get the marketing & public relations that they need and want, but cannot afford with the current state of the economy. Check back soon for the media release that is coming out.

Bad Breath? Try Antipoleez

Antipoleez™, the product name of a revolutionary lozenge-type bad breath eliminator developed by an established Swiss confectioner, has launched a sales and marketing campaign throughout North America through vigorous web sales (www.antipoleez.com) and promotions through industry distributors. The name of the product has gained the attention of law enforcement officials to attempt a ban on the sale and distribution of the product that they see as a hindrance to being able to detect alcohol on the breath of traffic and public disturbance violators. The powerful combination of natural ingredients has been proven to completely eliminate the odors caused by the consumption of alcohol (as well as pungent foods or tobacco). Antipoleez™ now finds itself in the center of a controversy and a classic battle between marketing philosophy and ethics.

Law Officials have raised strong objection to the name and packaging of the product. They have attempted to influence the ability of distributors to stock the product and to display the product at the check-out counters of convenience stores, liquor stores, tobacco shops, etc. While there is nothing in the product that is illegal, it is the belief of many law enforcement agencies that Antipoleez™ might inhibit officers in their ability to detect the smell of alcohol during traffic and public disturbance investigations. This controversy has helped the sales and “the buzz” over the product by putting it front and center in the way products are marketed and sold.

While the product name may be controversial, Antipoleez™ does not lessen the ability for law-enforcement officials to successfully test citizens for unacceptable levels of alcohol in the bloodstream. The many attempts of Law Enforcement Officers and Officials to dissuade distribution and sales of the product have only added to the popularity and wider distribution of Antipoleez™.

Antipoleez™ is currently gaining popularity for fraternity, sorority and college sporting event parties. It is also become very popular at casinos and other gambling venues. The provocative nature of the product name makes it unlike any other mint or breath freshener currently on the market.
Antipoleez™ was developed in Switzerland by a confectioner with over 80 years providing quality products internationally. Antipoleez™ is a registered trademark of the RNY Group and marketed as a superior alternative to current mints, fresheners and gums that merely mask or cover bad breath.

With anti-smoking and alcohol trends becoming more prevalent in major cities throughout the United States, those who may still enjoy tobacco and alcohol often feel self-conscious about the noticeable effects of these products on their breath. The mission of Antipoleez™ is to boost self-esteem and confidence, whether bad breath is caused by tobacco, alcohol use or the ingestion of a host of foods that can contribute to halitosis.

In stark contrast to breath mints, fresheners or flavored gums that mask odors, the properties of Antipoleez™ lozenges consumes the odor molecules left behind by alcohol, tobacco, garlic, curry, onions, etc. Additionally, those who may suffer from chronic halitosis caused by taking prescription medications also experience an increase in fresh, clean breath with the use of Antipoleez™. The product contains no artificial flavors and its effects are immediate.

About Antipoleez™

Currently the product is available in an 8-drop (lozenge) pack. Additionally, the product can be bought in a 3-pack, 6-pack and 12-pack configuration. Currently the product can be purchased directly from www.antipoleez.com or from distributors throughout

North America. Contact the company at: info@antipoleez.com for a list of distributors or for information on establishing a distributorship with the company.

For additional information and samples of Antipoleez™, you may contact ARL Marketing & Public Relations at 866-502-4064 and via email at: Andrew@arlmarketing.com for media coverage, and interviews.

ARL Marketing Signs Eco Family Productions UK

Have you ever stargazed, then drifted off into a world of your own, and questioned; are we alone in the universe?

Close Encounter of a Very GREEN Kind is an adventure book for children starring the Eco Family, the most ecological family in the cosmos. In the beginning children will be taken 142 years into the future, to a world unlike no other. The year is 2150. Almost all of the planets in the galaxy now have extraterrestrial life. It is from the City of Fontainia on the Planet Algore that children will follow the Eco family and their futuristic droids, back through time on the first of their four adventures to help save the Planet Earth from ecological disaster.

It is a story of enchanting quality, ideal for parent-child reading interaction and will grip the imagination of a child from the beginning to end. Beautiful illustrated by American artist Diana McManus Whitman.

This is the first in a series of four adventures by author Garry Errill. The entire series will be printed by an environmentally friendly printer using 100% recycled paper. Text and color illustrations will be printed using either vegetable oil, or water based inks. Green printing does not compromise on the quality. Fact! By using vegetable-based inks offers significant improvements: Colors are brighter and scuff resistance is better. No solvents, or alcohol based products are used in the printing of this book. All printing cloths are washed and reused.

Author Garry Errill in an effort to do his part for the children of this world, has setup a fund called the Eco Planet Fund, a portion of the proceeds from book sales in the United States, and United Kingdom will be placed in to the fund to help families and children that live in poverty, and forgotten children that look after family members that live a life of solitude. In addition, the fund will also help organizations that need financial help who help others, however, struggle to find funding through the government channels.

Close Encounter of a Very GREEN Kind will be released in the United States and United Kingdom on November 15, 2008. It will be available in book stores, as well as online for purchase. Children and parents can log on to www.theecofamily.com to learn more about The Eco Family, and where they will be able to purchase a copy. The book is 97 pages, and spread over 11 chapters. It will be sold in the US for $6.95, and in the UK for £5.95.

About the Author:

Garry was born on 28 January 1971 in the historical town of Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. Times were very hard for his family after Garry's mother left when he was only three and grew up with his sister and father in a single-parent environment. Garry drew his creative talent from two inspirational people, Mickey Mouse creator Walt Disney and his father, professional artist Ian Errill.

‘Believing in yourself is the only way you will fulfill your dreams to succeed in life,’ he says. In the summer of 2006 Garry began his first-ever adventure book - his own delightful children helped him conjure up many colorful, unusual and awesome characters that inhabit Fontainia on Planet Algore.

Close Encounter of a Very GREEN Kind will capture the hearts of children and adults alike and is destined for worldwide if not intergalactic success