What Our Clients Say
We take pride in the programs we design for our clients, and appreciate their acknowledgement of the work we have done for them. Many have been working with SMC Marketing since the company established operations in 1996. The following are statements from several of our clients. They provide insight to the nature of our work, the quality of our people and the results we achieve. (Corporate policy prevents employees of Discover Financial and Wells Fargo from issuing any statements.)
Layla Lavender, Vice President, Online Marketing and Retention, Citigroup
“It was a great pleasure working with SMC Marketing. They worked with us very closely to understand our marketing needs, and made sure the design of the campaign met our specific requirements. The SMC Marketing team was very professional and helpful, which fostered a positive partnering experience.”
Michael Winkler, Vice President, Cross-Sell Sales Manager, Citi Card Cross-Sell
"I worked with SMC Marketing for several years trying to implement a reward program in the Cross-Sell Group at Citi Cards. Betsy Vavrin, president of SMC, was extremely creative and diligent (not to mention patient) and ultimately helped me find something that the company’s ultra-conservative, legal department would allow us to use. Her knowledge of the financial services market is second-to-none, and she really understands what customers like and what drives them to buy. The ‘$25 Anything Rebate Coupon’ that SMC Marketing helped to implement, turned out to be a big win for us and our customers. I would highly recommend SMC Marketing to anyone who wants to increase sales and create loyal customers by adding significant value to their offers without adding a lot of cost.”
Valeria Aloe, Vice President, Assistant Program Manager, Citi Cards
“Betsy and the SMC Marketing team worked closely with us in the design of a very complex and innovative direct marketing campaign, that had the objective of increasing our company’s share of credit card transactions in an extremely competitive market. In record time, and despite many hurdles, they helped us to design and redesign the campaign until it adjusted to our changing needs. This was the most complex direct marketing campaign the company had executed until then, and SMC Marketing, by demonstrating commitment, professionalism, sense of urgency and innovative thinking, was a key partner to make it happen and to drive loyalty among our cardmembers.”
Terry Negendank, Managing Director, Private Bank, Union Bank
Betsy and her company SMC Marketing, provided valuable marketing guidance and direction for an important initiative for our Wealth Management Group at Union Bank. Betsy developed our Customer Recognition & Retention program in conjunction with our leadership team. The program’s objective was to retain the bank’s most profitable HNW clients amid branch closings and account management changes. In addition to thoughtful insights, Betsy adhered to our desired time-
lines, while managing the program delivery. This was all done within budget. The end result was a successful program with more satisfied clients and a higher retention rate. I highly recommend Betsy and SMC Marketing for future projects.
Sami Myers, Vice President, Union Bank
“I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Betsy Vavrin of SMC Marketing in 1999. I was initially impressed by her understanding of the financial services business, and of the marketing discipline. Over the years, we have worked together on a number of initiatives, and it has consistently been a very positive experience. Betsy is able to provide a wide range of services, and is willing to customize the level of service to each client’s particular needs. My personal preference is to make Betsy’s team a part of our internal project team, giving them direct access to staff throughout our organization as needed to facilitate our desired outcome. Betsy is very sensitive to the specific environment and requirements of each of her clients, and is creative in recom- mending and executing programs that successfully address each client’s objectives.”
Devin Cygnar, Vice President, Marketing, Fifth Third Bank
“SMC Marketing delivered an innovative and cost-effective offer that resonated with our target market. This allowed Fifth Third Bank to connect more closely with prospective customers. Betsy and her team are sensitive to client needs, including executing quickly to reduce speed-to-market items.”
Robert Vedral, CRB, Vice President/General Sales Manager,
Iowa Realty Company, Inc.
“I had the pleasure of working with Betsy Vavrin during my tenure as Vice President of the Western Region for Prudential Real Estates Affiliates. I found her to be very creative in her approach to marketing programs and solutions with the franchise affiliates. She took a very consultative approach in working with the affiliates in order to understand their marketing requirements. The strategic marketing recommendations that Betsy offered, better positioned those companies in their marketplaces.”
Mary Ellen Randall, Affiliate Marketing Manager, Prudential Real Estate Affiliates
"I had the privilege of having Betsy Vavrin and SMC Marketing as a part of my Western United States Team. Ms. Vavrin provides creative concepts that are not just ideas, but a working model for implementation…she turned ideas into actions that helped real estate franchise owners maximize their advertising and promotional budgets and build their business success. I wish that I had Betsy and the team of SMC Marketing on my team today!”