TEAM MEMBERS

Marketing & Advertising Agency

Our talent is our specialty

Christian Hidalgo

Owner and Creative Director

Stacy Gardner

Director of Client Services

Jennifer Price Hidalgo

Office Manager

Grant Gofourth

Digital Specialist

Josh Jones

Graphic Design Specialist

ABOUT NAVIGATION ADVERTISING

Marketing & Advertising Agency

Over 20 years ago we launched our advertising agency during what was an economically challenging time in Nashville, TN. We worked primarily in the music and publishing industries until we moved to downtown Murfreesboro. It was then that we began focusing on helping small to medium-sized businesses develop their branding and messaging strategies as well as their creative advertising campaigns. As entrepreneurs, we understood first-hand what it meant to get a business off the ground, make a payroll and grow a business. Thus, we were uniquely qualified to help other businesses do the same.

Some folks often ask if we are a marketing agency or an advertising agency. We are both a marketing and advertising agency. Marketing is focused on researching and identifying the proper target markets (demographics, psychographics, etc), but advertising is focused on developing an effective creative message and placing that message in the right locations in order to reach the target market (design, web, video, social, etc). Developing and implementing creative strategies is what we do for our clients. Our passion is help our clients put their “best foot forward” so that they can successfully promote their products and services to their target market.

As a full-service advertising agency and marketing agency we’ve been providing winning campaigns for international corporations to mom-and-pop start ups for over two decades. The compass that guides us for any campaign or project is to define clear and attainable goals, identify target markets, communicate with each audience in a manner that induces action, continually track and adjust accordingly based on results and undertake thorough post-campaign analysis.

We pride ourselves in staying in constant communication with our clients, meeting deadlines and staying within budget. There are no surprises for our clients—except the increased ROI they attain through an effective ad campaign.

We are very fortunate to make a living at doing what we love. We never look at the clock except to wish there was more time in the day to do more creative work. Hopefully, we’ll never take our good fortune for granted and look forward to what tomorrow brings.

World-Class Corporate Identity
Eye-Catching Print Design
Innovative Web Design and Development
Award-Winning Video Production and Development
Social Media Strategy and Implementation
Interactive Media
Trade Show Presence and Strategy

Effective Media Placement
Comprehensive Direct Response
Political Campaigns
SEO/SEM (search engine optimization / search engine marketing)
Direct Response / Direct Mail
TV (broadcast & cable), Radio and Web video
Web Presence, Website Design & Web Advertising

FAQ

WHAT IS OUR TYPICAL PROCESS FOR WORKING WITH A NEW CLIENT?

Typically we like to have an initial meeting, preferably in person, and ask lots of questions. Then we’ll do our needed research, maybe ask a few more questions, and then put together an initial draft proposal. The initial proposal is typically for discussion purposes so that we can refine the proposal to meet the prospective clients needs, budget, and timeline.

WHAT EDUCATION OR TRAINING DO WE HAVE THAT IS RELEVANT TO ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND DESIGN?

While we are a small agency, 8 professionals, we pack quite a creative punch. In addition to 3 Marketing degrees, 3 design degrees, 1 English degree, 1 Paralegal certificate and one school of hard knock diploma, our crew is well seasoned with a combined 72+ years of direct experience in advertising, graphic design, marketing and communications. We’ve worked on hundreds of campaigns from startups to national accounts—therefore, we know the right questions to ask, an ample library of reference material and more relationships than you can shake a stick at—so that we get your campaign or project launched and successful.

DO WE HAVE A STANDARD PRICING SYSTEM FOR OUR SERVICES?

Every client and project is custom, but our pricing is very basic. Most of our clients prefer a retainer-based relationship because not only are we always available to them, we’re also always discussing and implementing their campaign strategies. Also, we offer a fee-based option which allows many of our clients to simply be invoiced per project. Projects such as a one-off website, a tv commercial or even promoting a single-event are examples of non-retainer billing options. We’ve built our business on meeting deadlines and staying within budget.

HOW DID WE GET STARTED IN THIS LINE OF WORK?

Most of us were the “artist” or “creative-type” when we were younger. Some went to college fully understanding we wanted a design or advertising/marketing degree while others took a different route to the advertising world. But, at the end of the proverbial day, we are all creative consumers that keep up with current cultural trends, rely on tried and true strategies, and are always looking for that original thought that will help our clients sell more products or services. We believe we are most fortunate in that we get to make a living at doing something we love and comes natural.

WHAT KINDS OF CUSTOMERS AND CAMPAIGNS HAVE WE WORKED WITH AND FOR?

Many of us have worked in the music and publishing industries due to our proximity to Nashville, but just to name a few, we’ve worked for:
• Traveling Museum Exhibit
• Pharmacies
• Restaurants
• Off-Road Racing Teams
• Exhibit Designers
• Software Developers
• Auto Repair
• Physicians, Hospitals and Clinics
• Authors
• Auto Parts Manufacturers
• HVAC Repair and Maintenance
• Hot Rod Shops
• Drag Racing Events
• Auto Glass Replacement Companies
• Domestic and International Book Distributors
• Lawyers and Law Firms
• Banks and Financial Institutions

WHAT IS A RECENT PROJECT OR CLIENT WE ENJOY WORKING FOR?

RCV Motorsports out of Rockford, IL, manufacturers OEM and upgraded CV Axles primarily for the off-road industry. They are a 65+ year old company that is focused on world-class engineering, machining and production. Their attention to detail, aggressive advertising efforts and being all-around great folks to work with, makes our relationship with them not just enjoyable, but effective.

WHAT ADVICE DO WE GIVE OUR CLIENTS WHEN BEGINNING AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN?

There are a few items we like to emphasize when working with client that has not done any serious advertising before. First we encourage them to stick it out and not give up. Advertising is not something you “try” but something that you “do”. If a company wants to grow their brand awareness and ultimately their sales, they need to be committed to their campaign in the long-term. Second, we encourage our clients to spend 5-10% of their annual gross sales on advertising, marketing, and public relations. Nothing kills an effective campaign quicker than being underfunded. It takes money to make money and it’s vital that a client understand the need for an effective budget. Third, is cooperation, i.e., our clients must participate with us to ensure their campaign moves forward and progresses correctly. Lastly, we ask our clients to not judge the advertising and design we produce for them based on their own preferences, but to view them based on what their target market will like and react positively to. If they like it too—all the better—but them liking it doesn’t mean it will work and ultimately they hire us to improve their awareness and response.

WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD CLIENTS THINK THROUGH BEFORE STARTING AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN?

Are they willing to see a campaign through? Do they have realistic expectations for their campaign? How does past advertising experiences affect their perceptions – good or bad? Do they really know who their target market is or would some serious research help define their target market?