Now, I’m a big fan of direct response marketing but my business has been built on our reputation. I travel the world building relationships and getting the Millennium Cargo name known. 

These emails that you receive every week? Do I track how many sales come from them? Of course not, because if I did the data would show me that they don’t make a return – but I know better. These emails build my brand. They get Millennium noticed and they help us stand out of the noisy, freight crowd. 

I recently returned from a trip to Singapore where I attended the Millennium Logistics Network (MLN) event. I mean, how could I not go when they’ve got a name like that?  Millennium Cargo has absolutely no affiliation with MLN – the name is purely a coincidence. But I wasn’t about to let an opportunity like that pass me by. 

So not only did I  heave my behind into a plane seat and schlep my way across the world to be a part of the event, but I also put my hand in my pocket and paid for the whole inside cover of the network brochure. And it was a brilliant talking point! 

But that wasn’t the only talking point… Throughout the whole event people kept approaching me saying “Hey! You’re the email guy! I love your stuff…” and “Chadd, you’re the one with the emails? I look forward to them every week”  They knew who I was and what Millennium did because of the brand awareness I’d built through this list. And that recognition has resulted in so many sales over the years. Can it be meticulously tracked? Not really. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t well worth my time! 

So here’s a little question for you… What do you do to build brand recognition for your company? How do you get your name out there and build the relationships you need to grow? 

I’d love to hear your ideas…