The 3rd Annual Tammy Levent Birthday Bash to benefit The Joshua House!

You know the always original, contagiously giving, and feverously zealous Ms. Levent has invited the who’s who of Tampa Bay to her annual birthday soirée that will have everyone betting it will raise money for The Joshua House (a safe haven for abused and abandoned children in Tampa).

So stack the decks and place your bets, ladies and gents, raise a glass and join us in celebrating Tammy’s birthday!

This fabulous evening will feature an opportunity to win over $ 30,000 in all inclusive trips, specialty drinks such as the ever so tasty Tammytini, Vegas-style gaming tables, catered cuisine, high-flying unforgettable aerial artistry live entertainment, auction, surprises galore and celebrity auctioneers auctioning off stupendous items to raise money for The Joshua House.

Sports talk show host, Ian Beckles of The Sports Animal with Ron & Ian, will be our celebrity emcee for the evening!!

The TOP three players that rake in the most money for The Joshua House will have a chance to win an all inclusive trip to Dreams Punta Cana Resort for 3 nights!!

Plus, there will be an AMAZING After Party held at The Venue, 2675 Ulmerton Road in Clearwater. Just mention you’re there for Tammy’s Birthday Bash, and they will waive the cover charge!

Want a place to stay following the event? The Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park is offering an exclusive price and promotion for Tammy’s Bash! Call or visit their website to reserve a room and sleep in style…a free shuttle from the Venue to the hotel will also be provided!!

Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park
950 Lake Carillon Drive
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33716
Group Code: TAMMYL
Phone Number: 1-727-540-0050

To visit the Hilton website, please click here!

To purchase your tickets for this fabulous night, please click here!

For more information, please call (727) 726-9090 or visit TammyLevent.com.

A huge THANK YOU to all of our amazing sponsors!

Elder Automotive Group
Fisker
Jaguar
Spyker
Elite Trave
Icon B. Marketing and Publicity Groupl
Zoetry
Dreams Resorts & Spas
Atlas One Building Services
The Venue
Viaggio
Takara
Judith Ripka
Events by Amore
Icon B. Marketing & Publicity Group
Panache Vue
Tampa Prints
Star Media
Get Connected Tampa Bay Magazine
What’s Hot Tampa Bay
CityLife Magazine
Plan It!
Connelly, The Cocktail Makers
Monstah Lobstah
Evander Beer
The Stone Soup Company
Express Beverage of Tampa
DJ Shurefire
Custom Art Cafe
The Cake Zone
Secrets Wild Orchid
Dreams Resorts
Jalousie Plantation
PRP Wine International
The Promo Queen
Done Right Documents
KK Photography
Star Video
Sassy Cucina

This is where new business owners tend to make two huge mistakes.  First, they buy ads that cost thousands of dollars in places that don’t hit their target market – and therefore, don’t generate any return on investment. Second, they spend so much money on the media buy, they no longer have enough money to create a great-looking, attention-getting, effective ad to display in that very expensive space.

 Here’s how you can avoid these common mistakes and save yourselves a lot of money and heartache.

1.   Identify your ideal customer:  Who needs the product or service you’re offering?  Your answer might be everybody from a new mom to a grandfather who likes to golf, but the kinds of websites they surf, magazines they read, TV shows they like and ads they relate to will be very different. You need to identify each group that needs your product, the reason why they’ll like it, and then sculpt a message that evokes an emotional response for that particular audience.   

2.   Determine your budget: Remember the two common mistakes from above?  You need to have a realistic budget, and reserve your advertising dollars for the media that will be most effective for you.  Don’t get roped into 2-for-1 advertising deals in media that won’t get your message in front of the right audience.  Also, don’t forget to appropriately budget for the costs involved with creating a quality ad.  Think of it as a wedding; you could have your special day at the most expensive hotel in town, but if your wedding dress is ugly and the program misspells your name, that’s all people will remember. 

 3.   Devise your brand awareness strategy based on your budget:

Small budget or no budget

If you have limited funds, then you need to have maximum creativity. You’ve already identified your target customer personas and you know their habits.  Now you need to use that information.  First, network.  If your audience includes parents of young kids, head to parks, playgrounds and soccer fields to introduce yourself. You might also want to contact mommy bloggers and offer to send them a sample of your product.  If your audience includes athletes, target running clubs, fitness centers and different bloggers.  Look for opportunities to develop strategic partnerships.  Writing relevant content for blogs, magazines, hyperlocal news websites and your own social media pages is another way to extend your brand and develop your status as an expert in your field. 

Mid-Sized budget

If you have at least $1,500 a month to invest in building your brand awareness, interview public relations firms that can help you refine your strategy, ensure your message is being accurately communicated to everyone from your staff to your consumers, and can introduce you to community leaders and media partners.  You can also invest in sponsoring charity or community events.  Plus, you can create a fan base and a buzz through enhanced social media pages, e-blasts, newsletters and publicity.

Investor budget

Hooray!  You have money to spend.  Now you can create a complete marketing and public relations campaign.  Research shows consumers need to see your message seven times before it’s effective.  The deeper pockets also allow you to develop a well-planned and well-executed advertising campaign that involves print, television, radio, billboards, search engine optimization and many more touch points.

4.   Image Management: You know how your mom always told you to dress for success?  It’s so true.  Your personal image needs to match your company image.  You need to be honest, creative, consistent and relentless in establishing yourself, especially in the beginning.  In my case, I was young with long, wavy hair and businessmen didn’t take me seriously.  I updated my look, going with an older, more sophisticated hairstyle, and voila! I instantly had more credibility just because I looked the part of a successful, established business owner.

You need to find a style that represents you, and that makes you happy.  Remember, you are your brand’s best advocate.  If you want your product to be in the national spotlight, then you need to be ready for the bright lights, too.

My image in 2007.

My image in 2010.

This Wednesday, April 13: I’ll be on a panel discussing “Branding For Business,” alongside Michele Northrup, Liane Caruso and Julie Robbins.  We’ll lead you through everything you need to know from why you need a brand to how to create one, maintain it, and tell the world about it!  Working Women of Tampa Bay is hosting this event at Century Buick Tampa, 3308 W. Hillsborough Avenue, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for members and $35 for non-members and lunch from Carrabba’s is included.  You can register at www.workingwomenoftampabay.com .  

May 4: I’ll be on a panel called “From Strategy to Style: Taking PR and Marketing to a New Level.”  Noelle Anderson of True Blue Communications, Kyle Parks of Bayview Public Relations and I will tell you how to build your business and credibility in today’s tough environment.  We’ll cover everything from strategic communications planning to targeting key audiences to the best ways to leverage small budgets and build strategic partnerships that will get you noticed.  It will be at the Centre Club, 123 S. Westshore Blvd., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The cost is $15 plus tax and gratuity for members and $25 all-inclusive for non-members. To register, please call the Centre Club at 813-286-4040.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Our favorite jazz artist, Eric Darius, kicked off his national “On A Mission” campaign to promote musical education in schools.  He visited three schools in three weeks, and his motivational talks and powerful performances both solo and with the schools’ jazz bands were captured by the St. Petersburg Times, 83 Degrees, Studio 10 on WTSP,  The Tampa Tribune, Good Day Tampa Bay on WTVT Fox 13, WFLA News Channel 8 and on the nationally-syndicated program “Daytime.”    It’s been inspiring to see the reaction of the students and to read the comments they’ve posted on his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EricDariusBand. Check them out and smile!

The 1Voice Foundation kicked off another school campaign that’s stirring national interest:  it’s raising $5 million to create the first school in the country for children with cancer.  Bay News 9 and Studio 10 on WTSP Channel 10 both provided in-depth interviews with parents who could share firsthand why it’s so important for the children to have the ability to learn and socialize in a safe, sterile environment while they go through treatment.  The plans for the 1Voice Academy were also featured on ABC Action News, WTSP 10 Connects, The St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine, WFLA 970 AM and 83 Degrees!  Still to come, interviews on WFLA News Channel 8, WDUV, WWRM, and WPOI! Already, people are going to www.1Voice Foundation.org to donate.  I’m so proud to be a board member of this amazing organization!

 More success for Linda Baldwin and Amore – It’s A Lifestyle!  After Sam’s Club executives told Linda her recipes for a party for 600 people at the new Sam’s Club in Riverview were the most creative they’d ever seen at one of their grand openings, Linda shared her secrets with WTSP.com.  Linda also was on ESPN 1030 AM and on Food Nation Radio Network talking about her line of ultra-healthy gourmet meals to go.  If you want to sample some of her scrumptious offerings, sign up now for an exclusive taste test on April 15 at Amore.  It’s being hosted by Linda and by Food Nation Radio Network host Elizabeth Dougherty.  It costs just $10.  Just go to http://www.shop.elizabethdougherty.com/ to register!

Both Amore – It’s A Lifestyle and our favorite fashion boutique, The Hot Spot 813, will be featured in the next edition of Phassion Magazine.  Plus, Linda has an article coming out in Tampa Bay Metro.  The Hot Spot 813 provided the gorgeous gowns for a photo spread in What’s Hot Tampa Bay, and will be one of the featured boutiques outfitting the models at the fashion show we’re coordinating for the country’s coolest outdoor party: Chillounge Night Tampa at Curtis Hixon Park on April 15. 

There’s more publicity in the works for our other amazing clients, including a television segment for LaTorre Wellness Center on ABC Action News and a feature article on J.Joseph Salon coming out this month in Gulf Coast Business Review.  We’ll post all of the links on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IconBPR!