WHO WE ARE
Maralyne Middour is the founder and Chief Marketing Officer for Cowboy State Marketing LLC. While perhaps there’s no such thing as a born marketer, Maralyne might be pretty close to exactly that. Remembering her childhood, arriving in grade school and ready to make new friends, she had created her very own ‘business cards’ from a tablet of scratch paper, neatly printing her name and telephone number. After greeting her new classmates and making sure they had her contact information the telephone began ringing in the Middour house.
“My parents were floored,” she recalls, asking, “Why are all of those kids calling here?” She explained how she had created ‘business cards’ and passed them out to all of her classmates. Fast-forward and Maralyne is still passing out business cards, but now employs some help in answering the phones and taking messages when she’s out of cell service.
She says, “Marketing is really about connecting people and ideas. It doesn’t matter what you have to sell or what concept you have to share, if nobody knows, the idea will not catch on and the tangible merchandise and services will not sell. Cowboy State Marketing LLC has a laser-focus on serving Wyoming and the people who call The Cowboy State home.”.
What We Do – Three Unique Choices
Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations. We help people spread the word to sell their goods and services through traditional, new and social media and offer additional marketing opportunities through physical markets and online listings and auction services.
Advertising and Public Relations Agency
Although technically obsolete, the tradition of gross media pricing persists in traditional advertising media such as television, radio, billboard, and print. But this “standard commission” was long ago deemed illegal by the Department of Justice. Why? In a nutshell, it’s illegal because it’s anti-competitive for an entire industry to agree on a set compensation amount. The truth is many agencies are generally unpleasant for the media to work with, often refusing to provide adequate details about the product or service and real objectives for the campaign for the media to be truly helpful. Bottom line is that agencies typically do not get the best rates for their clients and often do an inadequate job of obtaining good value for the money spent.
Cowboy State Marketing as an advertising agency breaks many of the old norms and stereotypes of typical agencies. “Net” and “Gross” dollars are an archaic holdover from a compensation model that no longer exists, and the current differentiation between the two serves no purpose other than to create a source of confusion and inefficiency in the media supply chain. Having worked for more years than she cares to admit with advertising agencies, Maralyne knows a common thread is that the media buyer is working for their commission (industry standard of 15% and sometimes 30% when more people are involved) and because that agent is earning on the total amount spent they have little to no incentive to negotiate a fair and equitable advertising rate for their client.
“I have worked with agencies where the media buyer wants a lot of day-part specific rates, they want to know demographics and it’s like they’re following the ‘Advertising 101’ workbook of questions to ask. They want added value, free ads and interview opportunities and more, yet refuse to give enough information to know how the client can truly be helped. It’s very cat-and- mouse, complicated and convoluted.”
The approach that Cowboy State Marketing takes is different. Every client has unique needs in their advertising message. A state government department that is tasked with an awareness campaign to inform the citizens of Wyoming regarding a particular program has a similar but different goal of an individual running for public office. Both want to reach the entire state, but the goals are decidedly different. The author of a book, an inventor, a hospital and a museum will all have uniquely different goals and will also measure the success of their campaign in a different way. For each individual, business or entity we spend time to learn the goals, determine the budget and work to achieve the goals and stay within the budget.
A cookie-cutter approach or one-size-fits-all marketing framework doesn’t work. We offer professional public relations, press releases, copy writing, production services and will provide services individually or a part of a complete marketing package. We utilize
Online Auctions for Specific Items
Cowboy State Marketing LLC provides an online auction bidding platform for individuals, business entities and government offices and agencies to sell items. Ideally suited to industrial and heavy equipment, farm machinery, vehicles and trailers as well as government surplus, a proper auction with broad-range marketing guarantees items will sell timely and for a fair value.
Specializing in online auctions with training through Montana’s Western College of Auctioneering, Maralyne Middour isn’t new to the online auction scene. From aircraft to specialty vehicles, Maralyne knows there is a formula for creating and executing successful auctions. Marketing is a primary directive of any auctioneer, and auctioneers are to endeavor to find the best marketing venues they can in order to help their client. Nobody takes this more seriously than Maralyne.
Having listed and sold more than a million dollars worth of items, the cataclysmic year 2020 was the reason for Maralyne to open up professional online auction services in Wyoming. “I have observed the dilemma of small business owners, individuals and government employees faced with selling items of value. While there are some local options for on-site auctions, the marketing is often insufficient to attract a wide range of qualified buyers. The choice frequently comes down to selling that item well under value or ‘let it sit’ as an on-site auctioneer moves on to other items. With her personal experience with a number of on-site auctioneers she says finally the year 2020 pushed all of the right buttons. “People deserve a better option, and that’s what I deliver.” Local, statewide and multi-state marketing ensures the best possible and most fair recovery of value.
Online government surplus auctions are often the responsibility of someone who is already over-tasked and often unfamiliar with the items to be sold, which is the formula for a sub-par recovery of value and an unfortunate situation for both sellers and buyers. Moving forward from 2020 governing bodies and their agencies are facing severe budget cuts. Now more than ever before, obtaining a fair price at auction may have a profound effect on services and ultimately jobs.
Online auctions as well as “buy-it-now” style classifieds, backed up by thorough and intense marketing, are what you’ll find when you work with Cowboy State Marketing LLC.
Online auctions as well as “buy-it-now” style classifieds, backed up by thorough and intense marketing, are what you’ll find when you work with Cowboy State Marketing LLC.
Flea Markets in Fremont County, Wyoming
For people who are reevaluating their wants and needs, remodeling, redecorating, relocating or representing the sale of estate items, a flea market presents an excellent venue for connecting sellers with buyers. As 2021 begins to allow for larger gatherings, look for several flea markets in various locations hosted by Cowboy State Marketing LLC. Check the Flea Markets tab for current information and learn how to become a vendor. For flea market patrons, there are surprises in store that we’re sure you’ll love! Want to become a contestant with a chance for cash and prizes? Bookmark the Flea Market tab and be sure to subscribe to updates!