CROSS MEDIA — MARKETING MASTERS
Cross Media, based in Dallas, was founded in 1993. Its 85 employees support a client roster that includes well-known names like Hewlett-Packard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Sara Lee, HBO, EDS and Texas Instruments—as well as an even longer list of small- and mid-sized companies.
In 2003, Cross Media’s president, Jeff Bradford, realized that innovation would drive company growth. After some market research, he came to the conclusion that clients preferred to deal with as few vendors as possible. In addition, layoffs were forcing marketing professionals to get more done with fewer resources—and upper management was demanding measurable ROI on marketing programs to justify expenses.
Bradford also decided that measurable marketing ROI could be provided to clients by leveraging technology that, in the past, had only been accessible to larger companies. Armed with this information, Bradford hired Mike Tobias, a technology veteran with more than 25 years of experience, as CEO. Together, they created the new vision for Cross Media.
Moving Into New Areas
In January 2005, after spending 18 months building a technology infrastructure, Cross Media began offering marketing implementation (from research to advertising to lead tracking to direct mail) and graphic design services, as well as promotional products. The company’s projections proved to be just what the market needed and, in 2005, Cross Media experienced a 40 percent increase in revenues, growing from $10 million to $14 million.
“Cross Media is a solution-driven organization, committed to implementing marketing and sales strategy from concept to distribution,” Bradford explains.
The company’s focus is on helping customers decrease their costs and increase their revenues by providing:
• Marketing implementation services
• Automated marketing campaigns
• Collateral management
• Integrated print manufacturing
• Promotional products
• Lead generation
• Regional printing plants with offset and digital capabilities and full bindery services
• In-house mailing and fulfillment
Cross Media’s history is rich with entrepreneurial spirit while receiving no outside funding. From humble beginnings with three employees and 1,600 square feet of leased office space, the company has grown to multiple locations with more than 50,000 square feet of combined space.
“Our business philosophy is to focus on people first and the business will come,” Tobias maintains. “If we serve others first, treat customers better than they ever expected and help people live a purpose-driven life, then the rest will take care of itself.
“We live by our core values and strive to reach goals that are bigger than any one person.” Those core values, he adds, include celebrating teamwork and respect for the individual, excellence in execution, consistent integrity and innovative thinking.
Cross Media offers a comprehensive solution that allows marketers to outsource the execution of their marketing campaigns.
“Our integrated print manufacturing produces printed collateral, relevant direct mail—literally any printed piece our customers need to help them in their businesses,” Bradford points out. “And Cross Media’s promotional products adds three-dimensional marketing solutions for business and marketing campaigns that offer innovative ideas to generate intrigue and awareness.”
Tobias feels that its marketing services is the area that will continue to see the most growth, especially for lead generation, automated campaigns, collateral management, lead tracking and ROI analysis.
“Most companies take a mixed approach, balancing mass and direct communications strategies,” the CEO explains. “And while they may not be happy with the response rates for most direct marketing campaigns, there are a number of factors pushing them to adopt even more and broader direct marketing strategies than ever before.
“First, the number of communications methods used by consumers is blossoming rapidly,” he continues. “Direct marketing of the past was achieved only by mail. Today, companies can also leverage e-mail, text messaging, voice mail and more. Since target customers may actually enjoy and prefer to receive marketing messages via one of these methods, the opportunity for improved returns increases.”
The company execs attribute Cross Media’s success to a very aggressive sales strategy, driven by 15 salespeople in the Dallas/Fort Worth market alone, as well as the company’s ability to produce custom marketing applications for projects like lead generation. Recently, Hewlett-Packard hired Cross Media to design and develop a trade show lead generation and awareness program that included a custom roulette wheel, bingo cards, gift cards, promotional items, banners, posters and more.
Cross Media recently installed a Kodak Nexpress digital press and Kodak Prinergy front-end workflow, as well as a new platesetter and proofers for its Dallas printing plant. The Fort Worth facility acquired a mail shop and another Kodak digital press to round out its capabilities. A new plant is also opening in Houston.
Expecting to Expand
The company reports it is also looking at UV printing presses and technologies to bolster its marketing implementation services. There are plans in place to expand into other cities around the country.
Bradford promises to continue to get the word out about Cross Media and how it can help its clientele decrease their marketing and graphic communications costs, boost response rates by utilizing all media channels, and track what they are doing right and wrong.
“Our strong company values and workforce are at the core of our growth,” he concludes. “Cross Media employees also strive to give back to the community by serving many non-profit organizations. We believe in serving others first and in being servant leaders.” PI
- Companies:
- Eastman Kodak