It's Time You Had Your Own Marketing Department

by Skip Cohen

​Back in my Polaroid days when I was part of the U.S. Sales/Marketing crew, again and again, I'd see managers brought in from the field who'd fail in the home office environment.

The scenario was always the same: A top sales manager would be promoted and brought into help build stronger marketing programs. They'd be taken out of the field, and expected to thrive suddenly in an operational office environment. While a few did well, a lot of the managers failed and were in other positions within a year.

This short interview with Nadia Borowski-Scott, a photographer from San Diego, reminds me of that old Polaroid scenario. She openly talks about being a photographer for over twenty-five years, but knowing nothing about the ins and outs of running a successful business. She was an accomplished photojournalist, creative and had developed a terrific skill set, but not in marketing and thriving in the world of branding, customer retention or profit and loss.
 
She joined Marathons's Marketing Advantage Program and last year attended her first MAP Getaway. Nadia couldn't be more passionate as an artist or about running a healthy business. She recognized early on she needed more help than her skill set allowed and had a choice to make - bring in some expertise or live by trial and error on her own.

---

Marathon's next MAP Getaway is coming up July 11-13. Even better, you can pick up the phone right now and call Marathon (800-228-0629) and speak with a facilitator about MAP.  The ongoing program essentially creates a customized marketing department for your business. It gives you the support you just don't have time for, let alone the staff. Plus, the discounts you get on all of Marathon's printing services alone makes up for your monthly fee. 

Still on the fence? Join us in July for the Getaway - It's free for MAP members, but for the first time it's open to the industry. It's a terrific value and at $299 includes the program, three lunches and two dinners and non-stop time with other photographers and the instructors. In an environment like this, you can't help but pick up ideas on how to build a stronger business.

Check out the brief descriptions below about this year's speakers. If you'd like to read more, just click on any photograph to link to Marathon's full description of all the programs and this year's schedule.

See you at the MAP Getaway!