Corporate Overview and Capabilities
Segmented Marketing Services, Inc. (SMSi)
Founded in 1978, Segmented Marketing Services is a minority-owned national marketing company. With experienced local marketing teams in 30 top markets, its services include product sampling, field execution and in-store marketing with co-op and customized programs directed to women, teenagers, and urban and ethnic consumers (Hispanic and African-American segments). SMSi and its sister company highlighted below deliver millions of samples and promotions where consumers work (job sites), play (special events, festivals, parades, etc.), shop (malls/stores), study (schools, colleges), worship (churches), groom (beauty salons) and live (homes).
SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc.
In addition to the services outlined above, for many advertisers and clients, this company publishes Urban Call, 4-color custom tabloid size newsprint publications ranging in size from 8 to 64+ pages. These custom produced special advertorials are used for a multitude of purposes, including brand awareness building, consumer education, and trade sell-in. The ability to feature advertorials, carry corporate messages and display brand advertising in a favorable editorial environment makes Urban Call a highly effective marketing tool. These publications create awareness of the marketing support (promotion, media, etc.) behind a particular brand, service or company. Additionally, these custom Urban Call publications are direct mailed and distributed monthly or quarterly via SMSi’s proprietary national networks of venues (churches, beauty salons, barber shops, and other minority owned businesses), as specified by the client. Urban Call is A joint venture with BH Media Holdings , a Warren Buffet Company, and owners of the Winston-Salem Journal.
SMSi Community of Networks
The SMSi companies execute co-op and customized national multicultural promotions through their proprietary networks of beauty salons (9,600 salons – reaches 2.4 million women); barber shops (8,000 shops – reaches 2.0 million men); churches (10,300 churches – reaches 3.1 million households); colleges/Jr. colleges (100 schools reaching 500,000 students); urban stores (100,000 inner city outlets – serving 8 million customers); healthcare network (5,000 venues – serving 500,000 patients); youth network (2,500 centers – reaches 500,000 youth); senior center network reaching and opinion leaders (civic, social, religious, professional and political groups/organizations – serving 500,000 members).
The SMSi® and Urban Call® brands are highly regarded and well recognized by both the gatekeepers (individuals who control access to the participating network venues) and the constituency they serve. The result is a valuable relationship with the gatekeepers and their constituents that SMSi routinely leverages and accesses for the benefit their clients.