August 13, 2010

About Ralph W. Crosby

Wanting to earn money as a youngster, Ralph Crosby took jobs that early on taught him the value of customer loyalty. In his first adult career, as a journalist writing for daily newspapers and national magazines, he learned how to communicate with another type of customer – the reader. It was when he changed careers from journalist to business marketer, through hands-on experience and the teachings of such experts as management guru Peter Drucker, he learned that the end result of business – both for profit or nonprofit organizations – should not be viewed from an internal perspective but from the point of view of the customer.

In his newly published book, “It’s The Customer, Stupid! Lessons Learned in a Lifetime of Marketing,” he documents his education as a marketer and explains the critical nature of the customer-centric approach in today’s unique marketing environment.

Today, Ralph Crosby is Chairman and CEO of one of the largest and most successful marketing communications companies in the mid-Atlantic area. Crosby Marketing Communications, which he founded in 1973, serves national and regional clients that are market leaders in various industries. The firm is ranked around number 270 on Advertising Age’s list of the country’s 500 largest agencies. It has offices in Annapolis, Md., and Washington, D.C.

“It’s The Customer, Stupid!” is Mr. Crosby’s second book. His first, a book on corporate communications, was titled “Person-To-Person Management.” He has published numerous articles in national magazines, lectured at his alma mater, the University of Maryland College of Journalism, and taught continuing education courses in advertising and public relations.

Mr. Crosby began his professional life as a newspaperman in Baltimore, later becoming a Washington correspondent for Chilton Publications, and culminating his journalistic career as an editor with the Kiplinger organization.

He followed his time as a journalist with the founding of a small PR and tourist publication company. That company has grown into Crosby Marketing Communications, one of the nation’s leading integrated marketing firms. It now has a proven track record for creating national and regional campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies and both for profit and nonprofit organizations. Crosby programs often use a unique blend of paid and earned media components that create a powerful multiplier effect to deliver results.

Crosby Marketing works mainly with clients that serve the greater good, seeking to inspire actions that matter. It has experience reaching and motivating a variety of constituents, from teens, Baby Boomers and seniors, to diverse communities at the local, regional and national levels. This often means partnering with multiple community groups, government entities, faith-based organizations, primary and secondary schools and higher education institutions.

Crosby recently won the Multicultural Marketing Campaign of the Year award from PRWeek magazine for its work on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid program.

Using a proven process, and both traditional and new media, Crosby has defined best practices in brand development, integrated marketing, content development and campaign execution. This process begins with in-depth understanding of a client’s strategic goals and target audiences and ends with extensive measurements that will allow it to continually gauge performance and maximize results.

Ultimately, Crosby’s work is about creating connections between brands and people across a full spectrum of media and communications channels, using the following integrated services.

• Advertising for Print, Radio, TV, Outdoor and Online
• Brand Development, Corporate Identity and Management
• Collateral Materials
• Direct Mail
• Grassroots Outreach
• Marketing Research and Strategic Planning
• Media Relations and Crisis Communications
• Public Service Campaigns
• Search Marketing and Online Promotion
• Social Media
• Special Events Marketing and Management
• Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Relations
• Videos and Interactive Multimedia Development
• Websites and Other Online Communications