June 24 session offers tips on effective marketing

How can your business get the biggest bang for its marketing buck?

That's the focus of the Retail Merchants Association's small-group brainstorming session on Wednesday. "Smart Marketing to Make Money" is part of the association's new Executive Dialogue series.

Tom Blue of Accelerated Growth Partners, a specialist in effective marketing, will moderate a discussion with business owners and marketing decision makers and help them consider how to market efficiently in a troubled economy.

"People have fewer marketing dollars to spend and need to make sure they're not wasting them," Blue said.

Topics will include ideas on where to spend marketing dollars, how to gauge the return on your company's marketing investment and where to cut waste.

Reducing your marketing budget without damaging the business also will be discussed, as will how to communicate your marketing story with the greatest impact.

The session is from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 5101 Monument Ave., the merchant association's offices.

The cost is $79 for members, $99 for nonmembers, and it includes lunch. Space is limited to 20 participants.

Register for the session online at http://www.retailmerchants.com or call (804) 662-5500.

-- Iris Taylor