Spin City Put a new spin on your sales pitch with a CD-ROM.

When you're in the glam world of hospitality marketing,schlepping around a big, bulky portfolio just won't do. Asbusiness began to heat up for Insight Advertising in Fort Myers,Florida, the creative team knew it needed a way to effectively showits stuff to more prospects without the hassle of carting around abig book of samples. The solution? Put the pitch on a CD-ROM.

"Our CD is a cost-effective direct-mail solution that caneasily be updated or customized," says Kimberly Powers, 32,president of Insight. "It's far less expensive thanreprinting a big brochure, and allows us to be introduced to aprospect when time or distance constraints prohibit an in-personpresentation."

Featuring more than 50 examples of Insight's best work inliving color and sound, its e-portfolio is available in both PC andMacintosh versions. There's even an unanticipated benefit: TheCD has become such a smash that it's now a new profit centerfor the agency. "In addition to the work it's landed forus, we've been approached with several CD projects since weintroduced ours," said Powers. "As a marketing agency,it's a natural for us."

Production costs can range from about $6,000 (low-end) to as muchas $100,000 for an elaborate, multimedia show, she says. Othercosts include packaging the CD plus shipping and sales tax, whenapplicable. But consider the fact that, according to Powers,businesses can use the CD as a tool to qualify prospects beforemaking an in-person appearance, potentially cutting the cost ofselling significantly.

Gwen Moran is president of Moran Marketing Associates, apublic relations and marketing communications agency in Ocean, NewJersey. She is currently completing a marketing workbook titledPromote Your Business. E-mail her at moranmarketing@erols.com.