When The Abbey came to Marketing28, it was a gem waiting to be found by the public. You see, many years ago it started as a religious supply store. And while that is certainly still part of their business, they have also grown into a delightful coffee and sandwich shop that also sells many wonderful fair trade items and local artists’ works.

And this was the problem. Most people still thought of The Abbey as what it once was, not where it has been for the last few years.

So The Abbey decided it was time to put a more consolidated effort behind its marketing, to dip their toes in the water. A few months later, they have a website with total control over all content, including a calendar of events. Copy is optimized for organic search. They have a library of photos to draw from.

They have ads to run in their local newspaper, ones that reflect the friendly vibe of the staff and the space.

The one thing The Abbey was already doing was running extremely small space ads in a very busy regional section of their local newspaper. Here’s what the page looks like:

With the help of Marketing28, they’re making the most out of that space by not making their ads overly busy. (A side note to all the other advertisers in that section: More is not always the best way to stuff your message into your ads. We can help. Call us) My favorite ad in this series is the one about a cup of joe. Go ahead, take a look.

Sales are up, and there is a clearer understanding of what The Abbey is all about. There’s still more work to be done, but we’re off to a good start. So next time you’re in Belleville, stop by. The folks at The Abbey will make you feel welcome. Tell ‘em Marketing28 sent you.

If I were anywhere near it, I’d go to Billings, Montana’s St. Vincent Healthcare. They have recently been recognized as the best in the nation for heart attack care, and when they wanted to get the word out to the community they turned to Marketing28. A variety of media were used: outdoor, newspaper advertising, banner ads on the billings-gazette.com, a heart-shaped sticker on the front page of the newspaper, banners in the hospital, and a thirty second theatre ad. Using their corporate green color and a revised tagline “Quality Care. Proven.” these ads were noticed throughout the community. Here’s a small sampling:

Perhaps you’re looking for that gift that’s just right. What will you get that close friend, something special, something that can’t be found in every mall across America.

Well, here’s your chance to get a great gift, and perhaps even get a gift that is a Fair Trade item. Jewelry, clothing, artwork, all from Fair Trade artists or local artists will all be on sale for your perusal this Friday evening at The Abbey in West Belleville. I highly recommend stopping by. They’re great folks, and a great client.