By MARION “MARS” RINALDI
Boone County Journal

Hello, Boone County! My name is Marion Rinaldi but, please, call me Mars.

I am thrilled to be onboard with the Boone County Journal as the newest advertising sales
representative. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, and give you a chance to get to know me and why I have a passion for media and advertising in Boone County.

Hailing from Georgia, I made my way to Illinois with my husband, Dominick, who was working for an airline at O'Hare. We started in Mount Prospect, but eventually moved to Crystal Lake, then to Poplar Grove when we decided to buy a house.

We have two daughters, Elizabeth and Makenna, aged 12 and 2 respectively. I have a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in creative writing. I am also a graduate of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, where I earned my certificate in Television and Radio Broadcasting. I have worked in news radio for Cumulus Media in the Atlanta and Nashville markets as a news producer, voice producer, and fill-in news anchor. Breaking into a new market in radio broadcasting is tough, so when we moved to Illinois, I knew I'd need to broaden my search for work opportunities.

While eating lunch at the Steam Plant, I was browsing through an issue of the Boone County Journal and saw that they were looking for a part-time writer. That seemed like a great idea, given my previous experience, so I set up a time to meet with David Larson. Long story short, I've been at the Journal now for a few months and my role has expanded to ad sales. I view this as an exciting opportunity to not only become more involved in the community, but as a way to use my background in media and small business strategy to help businesses in Boone County enrich their customer base through well-composed and specifically targeted advertising.

My approach to selling advertising for the Boone County Journal is not one of "how big of an ad space can I sell you," but rather, "what kind of advertising can we offer you that fits your needs and your budget?" My goal is to refresh your view on the power of print advertising, and to help you create a smart, multidimensional strategy that allows you to use all the tools at your disposal to successfully market your brand.

We are a society in the midst of the age of digital marketing; and while there are some extremely cheap online solutions for marketing yourself, using only a few, free digital tools might look great for your budget, it is extremely limiting. It would be like having access to a full golf bag, but using only your driver for every shot. Sure, it's the right tool sometimes, but it's impractical for more than half the game. This is why advertising in print media is so important.

I am truly looking forward to getting to know Belvidere and Boone County and becoming part
of this wonderful community. If you're ever by the Boone County Journal/ License & Title office, I hope you will say hello.