Hall Market Media, Inc.

During our initial phone call, I try to glean as much information as I can about the client's business, the current stage of their business, their overall goals for their business, and of course, we do have to talk about that ugly word - Money. I need some sort of sense of what their "Threshold for monthly spending' truly is, so that we don't waste the client's time, recommending things that are currently beyond their reach financially. We never like putting our clients out far on their financial limb or overextending what they can reasonably afford each month. The budget, geographical fencing, customer target information, and more are all factors in our recommendations to each of our clients. Being in business since 1985 and additional experience working at other advertising agencies and Radio Stations has given our company president Connie, extensive experience in so many different kinds of businesses and industries. We traditionally come up with creative ways to save our clients money, whenever possible on a variety of services. We do not want to be a 'flash in the pan' but rather to still be with you and your firm five years from now and still working as part of your company team.

While our company owner has been working full-time since the age of 16, after graduating mid-term as a Junior in high school, she got the opportunity to start work in the industry she loved, starting at the age of 18, and has been at it ever since. Our HMM Art/Digital Director Christian, graduated from college with three degrees; all in Applied Art and Design, including Concentrations in Multi-Media, Illustration, and Graphic Design. He additionally earned two Certifications with one in Graphic Design and the other in Website design. We have a huge demand for his work in building websites or overhauling existing ones. He makes sure that everything he designs for website use is also compatible with mobile applications. He also does all of our collateral packages, print/digital display ads, brochures, A/V production, brand standards, direct mail pieces, and truly, so much more. Our Social Media Manager Cayla has been handling all client Social Media postings and updating on a near-daily basis for all HMM Digital clients for some 10+ years now, as well as operating as our Office Manager, and direct assistant to Connie Hall.  Emmy-winning staff member Bill, a graduate of the University of California San Diego, in Broadcasting, Business Management, and Marketing. Bill provides assistance anywhere we need additional help.  

At HMM, we offer a large variety of fee options, customized to work with the most ideal arrangement for each client. We offer different Package rates, Monthly Retainers, Media Commissions, [which come out of the Media's end, not the clients - so it is FREE to use our services for any type of Media Buy, as long as the media costs are "gross" including, or allowing, the "Standard Agency Commission".] We also offer "Per Project" fees, hourly rates, or the best method for the client and HMM to both feel comfortable with work-related costs. We do have some standard rates or ranges for specific types of projects. As an example, a full website builds and launch, runs from $3,500 - $5,000, predicated on all the additional 'bells and whistles' the client desires, i.e. E-Commerce, Chat Bots, Credit Card Payments, and more. For the monthly maintenance and updating of all client Social Media, it generally runs about $1,250 - $1,500 per month, including new artwork, content, promotions, contests, and more, for multiple sites, and changed out approximately every couple of days, plus, $750/month for Website updating 1 - 2 times per week. However, our "Monthly Digital Package" drops the cost to only $1,500 in total for both Website & Social Media maintenance and updating, if we will be handling both Digital work ongoing. Our "Logo Package" typically runs $500 to include three different logo specs, with additional work included for 'tweaking' final client-selected logo, along with the multiple additional variations needed for the new logo, specific to the intended use. Radio Commercials and/or Digital Pre-Rolls are usually in the $500-$2,500 range, with costs also based upon voice talent, music beds, and more. A Broadcast Commercial for TV, Zoned Cable, and Digital use runs from $1,000 - $7,500 predicated on a number of factors, including the varying amount of intended end-uses. We have always been able to work out affordable options for each client. We will work within your affordable budget and discuss what we can do for each budget amount. As each business grows, so does their advertising & marketing funds, so, it turns out to be a win-win for both parties.

I was actually born into the business, one could say. My mother was a longtime employee of the Sacramento Bee newspaper, and KOVR-TV (Then was the Sacramento ABC affiliate) for the remaining years that she worked. I had always been around her friends who were also in the same industry and I came to have a desire to get into it myself.  While I worked for a few different Radio Stations, I found that working as Media Planner and Buyer was a great fit for me, and my position as a Media Planner & Buyer grew over the years to include all the additional services a client might need, to HMM, Inc. becoming a Full-Service Advertising Agency within the first five years of business, which I first opened in July of 1985. 

I personally have worked with nearly 600 individual clients to date through the years of my career to date. Our Master Account List for HMM, Inc. (Available upon request) is so large, that we had to break it up into categories. One would be hard-pressed to find any types of businesses and/or industries that we don't have some experience with. Some of the main categories including, but not limited to; Political Campaigns, Media, Government (Different Cities including Sacramento, Citrus Heights and more,) the County of Sacramento and the State of California,) Retail, Financial, Food-Related, Recreational & Entertainment, Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer, Real Estate, Automotive (new car dealerships, used car companies, and aftermarket, like NAPA Auto Parts,) Medical & Health Services, Schools, Education and truly, so much more.

One of the more recent projects that I am fondest of, is the full body of work we have been, and are still doing with a new business start-up client. We worked tremendously hard and put in a lot of staff time on all the different elements it takes to get a viable new business up and running. We handled everything from the creation of their new Logo, Brand Standard & Stylescape, all Collateral pieces, including Letterhead, graphic-designed 2nd Sheets, Envelopes, Presentation Folders, Brochures, Door Hangers, plus all digital-related services needed. We created a beautiful, user-friendly website, four separate platforms for Social Media campaigns, and all of the research for a Test Market Campaign. The new company has launched publically, and we are now going into their first advertising campaign, which we are all excited about. Being an integral part of the roll-out of this new business has been really rewarding, and I am quite proud of all the work that the HMM staff has done for this client and the new company, as well as what is yet to come.

I would recommend speaking with 2 - 3 different agencies before deciding on which one understands your needs, and is eager to share their most immediate thoughts on what options would be a good route for you to take to meet your specific needs. Also, talk with agencies about how much of the necessary services you receive can be done 'in-house.' This is a benefit to the client and should provide you with lower, individual costs on specific projects, or for a reasonable monthly retainer for agencies who will be doing a variety of projects for you, for either a designated period of time or ongoing, with the latter, the most ideal arrangement for both the client and the agency. Also, don't go with an agency just because they were the cheapest of your cost quotes. There is a reason that they might be substantially less than the other agencies you have spoken with. It could be the caliber of their work, and/or making sure they come in as cheap as possible on the initial quote(s) and then will work to raise the costs for the work you need after they are chosen to be your "Agency of Record." Conversely, do not expect an agency asking for exorbitant rates in the beginning, to be the best in services and meeting your needs. Many of these larger firms have huge office overhead, and large payroll costs to cover, passing these internal expenditures on to their clients for their work, which may not even come close to the same caliber of an agency somewhere in the middle. Additionally, the larger, most expensive agency, with a lot of staff members, will often assign a new 'rookie' to their new clients, which ultimately costs you a mint to work with someone who can often be inexperienced. I would also recommend that you speak with whoever would be your main contact at the agency by phone before deciding on an agency. You will want to make sure that your personalities mesh well, the person who is the 'lead' on your account truly listens to what you have to say, will offer you some professional advice regarding your needs, including ways to save money on specific projects, without affecting the caliber of work provided to you. Of course, the initial phone call, and any professional advice provided to you, should be FREE for the initial emails and phone consultations.