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CRM and Gráfica
2000
 CRM (Customer Relationship Management) according to Gráfica President and founder Debra Taeschler — "is a hot topic because it will advance notions about integrated marketing, so agencies will be better able to boost their clients' bottom lines through technologically advanced, yet personal methods of cross-selling and up-selling to existing customers. This is done by the development of 'touch points' with customers that establish, cultivate, and maintain long-lasting relationships."
This is the direction that Debra plans to take as she leads her "proudly independent" agency into the 21st century. "Our individuality grants us the autonomy we need to produce the award-winning breakthrough creative work that our clients have come to expect." The list of clients is impressive and ranges from Fortune 100 (AT&T and Lucent Technologies) to utilities and pharmaceutical companies (PSE&G and Novartis) to state agencies (the New Jersey State Lottery and the New Jersey Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor) to academic and philanthropic institutions (Rutgers University-Newark Honors College, Gill St. Bernard's School, and New Philharmonic of New Jersey). Other companies and organizations who have called upon Gráfica to provide interactive marketing services include Coldwell Banker Commercial, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Omnipoint, onProject.com, and Working Women 2000 and Beyond, and Internet companies (Buy and Hold.com and Naviant).
When you sit across the table from Debra and ask questions about her "job," her passion for what she is doing, what she has done, and what she hopes to do, quickly becomes evident. Her response to questions is concise and thought through. Not surprisingly, the company icon (derby hat and tape measure) was created to project the idea that Gráfica is the "agency for people who thinkSM."
What is integrated marketing? "Theoretically, integrated marketing means talking to the right person at the right time with the right message in the right vehicle. This is not a new concept. Advertising, direct mail, public relations, and interactive media have yearned for it for a long time. The challenge is to make integrated marketing work under one roof, proving out the concept when measuring expenses to revenue."
Tell us why Gráfica is unique. "Gráfica is knowledge-based marketing. We are special because we focus on an adherence to the precepts of CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Our roots are in direct marketing which means using two-way communications vehicles and feedback mechanisms. We offer our clients accountability. We create our campaigns in such a way as to utilize "touch points." I think the reason we are unique is our people. We have successfully attracted "big-city caliber" professionals who are results driven. Their search for excellence, their creative talents, their commitment to clients is a big part of why we are special. Presently, we have a 70 person marketing agency with $58 million in capitalized billings. We are currently ranked number 133 out of 500 worldwide among traditional advertising agencies by Advertising Age. GráficaInter.active is number 62 among Adweek magazine's top interactive agencies, highest among New Jersey shops. Our clients make us special. We have a variety of clients in diverse fields that call upon our talents and mandate that we produce quality work."
The place where Debra spends a good part of every working day is a state-of-the art, fully networked Federalist-style building on busy Route 24 (Main Street) in Chester. The exterior belies the energy and intensity of activity taking place within its walls. Gráfica has been called the state's leading integrated marketing shop where passionate people with high energy and superior creative skill conceive and execute marketing, advertising, and public relations campaigns for an impressive variety of large and small clients. The leadership qualities of the Rutgers grad, who perceptively anticipated in 1986 the impact of the computer on the way we think, are in no small measure a part of this success story.
What does Debra Taeschler do for fun and relaxation? "Spend time with my family." Debra and her husband have two children.
Key Points of Development for Gráfica/GráficaInter.active
- 1986 Gráfica, Inc., founded in Debra Taeschler's basement in East Hanover, New Jersey with three employees: Debra, John Puglionisi, and Fermin Mendoza. Gráfica provides integrated communications, sales collateral, sales force training, slide shows, videos, and direct mail to its first client, AT&T International.
- 1989 Fifth employee hired, an MIS manager, improves technology infrastructure and spearheads the development of advanced technology capabilities as Gráfica offers CD-ROMs, electronic mechanicals, and computer generated design. With 7 employees and billings eclipsing $5,000,000 Gráfica moves to building at 50 Main Street, Chester. Gráfica begins offering strategic planning, database management, marketing research, and media planning/buying.
- 1990 Gráfica introduces FaxBack as a low-cost fulfillment mechanism for its clients.
- 1991 Gráfica forms an international liaison network, establishing a presence in 12 major markets worldwide.
- 1992 Gráfica introduces its first email direct marketing campaign, NetProtect, an AT&T security service.
- 1995 Gráfica launches AT&T WorldNet Service, providing an interactive Web site and b-to-b sales tools, print advertisements, traditional collateral, and DM.
- 1996 GráficaInter.active Ltd. officially formed as a separate business unit with 12 employees offering a full range of online marketing strategies including Internet and intranet site design, technical programming, online media planning/buying, and Web site maintenance.
- 1997 With 50 employees, Gráfica moves into its own building at 525 East Main Street, Chester.
- 1999 Phenomenal growth in the need for Internet services leads to the expansion of Gráfica into a separate facility, 310 East Main Street, Chester.
- 2000 Gráfica evolves its integrated marketing capabilities to a customer relationship management (CRM) platform using advanced database techniques and a complete suite of marketing communications services.
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