frontier_3

Introducing AI Enablement at Frontier 3

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 18:58:39 GMT

Frontier 3 now helps local businesses put AI to work on the everyday jobs that eat up the week.

Hi, I'm Tom Lucido. I recently joined Frontier 3 as VP, Business Development, and I'm here to lead something new for us: AI enablement.

Every business owner I talk to has heard they should be using AI. Very few have had the time to figure out where it actually helps. That's the gap we want to close.

Our approach is simple. We look at how your team spends its week and find the two or three jobs where AI saves real time, like writing first drafts, cleaning up lead lists, organizing notes and documents, or answering the same questions over and over. We set up the tools, build the workflows and train your people in plain language. Then we measure what changes, so you can see whether it's paying for itself.

Two things we won't do: hand your brand over to a robot, or sell you a six-month roadmap. AI drafts. Your people decide.

It fits right alongside what Frontier 3 has done since 2002. Good marketing still comes from understanding your customers. AI just gives you more time to do it.

If you're curious, call us at 313.347.0333 or send a note through our contact page. I'd love to hear what's eating up your week.

Radio Still Rides Along

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:54:28 GMT

Metro Detroit spends a lot of time in the car. Why local radio still earns a spot in the plan.

Ask people where they listen to the radio and most will say the car. In metro Detroit, where a lot of us spend real time on I-94, I-696 and the Lodge, that's a big audience.

Radio has a few things going for it:

It's local. Stations and hosts are part of the community, and a live read from a trusted voice can feel like a recommendation.

It's frequent. You can afford to repeat your message enough times for it to stick.

It's fast. A spot can be written, recorded and on the air in days, not weeks.

What separates good radio from forgettable radio:

Say your name early and often.

Paint a picture. You only have sound, so use it.

Give one easy thing to remember, like a short web address or a simple phone number.

Pair it with streaming audio to reach the same listeners on their phones.

If your fall plan doesn't include audio, it might be time to give it a listen.

Happy 325th Birthday, Detroit

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 18:51:57 GMT

Detroit turned 325 last week. What 325 years of reinvention can teach a brand.

On July 24, 1701, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his party landed on the banks of the Detroit River and founded the settlement that became our city. Last week Detroit turned 325, and the city celebrated with Bonne Fête Détroit 325.

That's a long time to keep reinventing yourself. Fur trading post. Stove capital of the world. The Motor City. The Arsenal of Democracy. Motown. And now a city that's growing again.

Frontier 3 has been here for 24 of those years, since 2002, helping Detroit businesses tell their stories. Some of the businesses we've worked with have been around for generations, and the ones that last have something in common: they keep changing how they reach people without forgetting who they are.

That's good advice for any brand. Know your roots. Keep your promise. Change everything else when you need to.

Happy birthday, Detroit.

Your Reviews Are Your Best Ads

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 19 May 2026 18:48:17 GMT

Most people read reviews before they call. A simple routine to earn more of them.

Before most people call a business for the first time, they read what strangers say about it. That makes your reviews some of the most important advertising you have, and most businesses leave them to chance.

A simple routine:

Ask at the right moment. Right after a job well done or a happy visit, ask in person and follow up with a text that includes a direct link.

Make it easy. One tap to the review page. Don't make people search for you.

Reply to everyone. Thank the good ones by name. Answer the bad ones calmly and offer to make it right. Future customers read your replies too.

Never buy or fake them. The FTC banned fake reviews in 2024, the platforms catch them and customers can tell.

Use them. Put your best reviews on your website, in your ads and on your mailers. A real customer's words beat any slogan we could write.

For a lot of local businesses, ten new reviews this month will do more than another ad.

Billboards in the Age of Scrolling

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:46:34 GMT

You can't scroll past a billboard. How to make outdoor work at 60 miles an hour.

People spend hours a day looking at their phones. They also spend a lot of time looking through a windshield. On I-94, I-75 and Woodward, a billboard still reaches thousands of drivers a day, and nobody can scroll past it.

Outdoor works best when you respect how it's seen: at 60 miles an hour, for a few seconds.

Seven words or fewer. If it takes a paragraph, it belongs on a postcard.

One idea. Your name, what you do and one reason to choose you.

Big, simple visuals and high contrast. Gray on gray disappears.

Tell people where. "Next exit" or "Two miles ahead" turns awareness into a visit.

Digital boards add flexibility. You can change the message by time of day or day of the week, and share a board in rotation for less than a static one.

Outdoor rarely works alone, but paired with search and social it makes everything else you do feel bigger.

Auto Show Week: Three Moves for Dealers

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:44:19 GMT

The show gets buyers excited. Your website, ads and follow-up close the deal.

The Detroit Auto Show opened to the public on Saturday and runs through January 25 at Huntington Place, and once again the whole region is talking cars. For dealers, show week is a reminder of something you already know: car shopping starts on a screen.

Most buyers have narrowed it down before they ever set foot on a lot. That makes your online presence your first showroom. Three things to check this week:

Walkaround videos. A 60 second phone video of a real vehicle on your lot beats a stock photo every time.

Accurate inventory. Nothing loses a buyer faster than clicking an ad for a truck that sold last Tuesday.

Fast replies. When someone fills out a form or sends a text, the first dealer to answer usually gets the appointment.

The show gets them excited. Your website, your ads and your follow-up close the deal.

Small Business Saturday: A Local Shop's Game Plan

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:41:34 GMT

Small Business Saturday is November 29. Simple ways to turn one day into new regulars.

Small Business Saturday is November 29 this year, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. For neighborhood shops on Kercheval, on Mack and on every main street in metro Detroit, it's one of the best days of the year to win new regulars.

A few ideas that work:

Tell people now. A postcard or social post this week does more than one on Friday night.

Team up. Partner with the shop next door on a joint deal, or a passport card that rewards visits to several stores.

Make it an event. Coffee, music, a local maker in the window. Give people a reason to stop in.

Capture the visit. Collect emails or phone numbers with a small reward, so one Saturday turns into a relationship.

Say thank you after. A short note or a follow-up offer in December brings them back.

Shopping local matters to people here. Make it easy for them.

Plan Your Holiday Ads Before Halloween

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:38:33 GMT

The businesses that win in December usually start in September. A simple timeline.

It's mid-September, which means it's already time to think about the holidays. Media gets booked, printers get busy and good ideas need time.

A simple timeline we use with clients:

By October 1: Decide your offer and budget. What are you selling, to whom, and what is a new customer worth to you?

By mid-October: Lock in media. Broadcast, outdoor and print fill up first.

By November 1: Creative is finished and approved, including the follow-up for after the holidays.

Thanksgiving week: Launch. Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are big for retailers, and service businesses can win this window too with gift cards and year-end offers.

After Christmas: Don't stop. The week between the holidays is cheaper to advertise in, and people have time to browse.

The businesses that win in December usually started in September.

Why Direct Mail Still Works

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:36:30 GMT

Inboxes and feeds are full. The mailbox is quieter. How to make a postcard pull its weight.

Everyone's inbox is full. Everyone's feed is full. The mailbox? A lot quieter than it used to be.

That's one reason direct mail keeps earning a place in our clients' plans. A good postcard gets held, read and stuck on the fridge. It reaches people who tune out digital ads. And it can be aimed with real precision, down to specific neighborhoods or a list of past customers.

What makes it work:

One clear offer. Don't cram your whole business onto a 6x9. Pick one reason to act.

A strong headline and a big photo. You have about three seconds at the mailbox.

An easy next step. A phone number, a short web address or a QR code that goes to the right page, not your homepage.

Repetition. One drop is a test. Three drops a few weeks apart is a campaign.

Pair it with digital ads aimed at the same neighborhoods and you have a one-two punch that's hard to beat.

Google's New AI Mode and What It Means for Local Search

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 27 May 2025 18:34:52 GMT

Google is rolling out AI Mode to everyone in the U.S. Here's how to keep showing up.

Last week at its I/O conference, Google started rolling out AI Mode to everyone in the U.S. Instead of a list of links, people can ask a full question, like "who's a good family dentist near Grosse Pointe taking new patients," and get a written answer.

That changes how customers find you. A few things matter more than ever:

Your Google Business Profile. Hours, categories, photos and services feed these answers. Keep it complete and current.

Reviews. AI answers lean on what customers say about you. Ask happy customers to leave one, and reply to every review.

Plain answers on your website. Say clearly what you do, where you do it and who it's for. FAQs help.

Consistency. Your name, address and phone number should match everywhere they appear online.

Search isn't going away. It's asking for better information. The businesses that make that information easy to find will keep showing up.

Streaming TV Isn't Just for National Brands Anymore

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:33:06 GMT

Connected TV lets local businesses target by zip code, start smaller and see results.

A lot of local business owners still think TV advertising means a big production budget and a bigger media buy. Streaming has changed that.

Connected TV, the ads that run on streaming services watched on a smart TV, lets you:

Target by zip code. Show your ad to households in Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores or wherever your customers actually live.

Start smaller. Budgets can be a fraction of a traditional broadcast buy.

See what happened. You get reporting on impressions and completion rates and, with the right setup, website visits from households that saw the ad.

It isn't magic. You still need a good 15 or 30 second spot, and the targeting only works if you know who your customer is. But for a lot of local businesses, it's now the most affordable way onto the biggest screen in the house.

Curious whether it makes sense for you? We're happy to run the numbers.

The Auto Show Is Back in January

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:31:28 GMT

For the first time since 2019, the Detroit Auto Show is back in January. A few ideas for dealers.

For the first time since 2019, the Detroit Auto Show is back where it belongs: January, at Huntington Place. Public days run through January 20.

For anyone who grew up here, the January show was a ritual. Snow outside, chrome inside and a whole city talking about cars. It also kicked off the year for car dealers, and it still can.

If you're a dealer, a few ideas for the next couple of weeks:

Echo the show. Shoppers walking the floor this week will be in a showroom next month. Run ads featuring the models getting buzz downtown.

Follow up fast. Shopping interest picks up around the show. Make sure your paid search and inventory listings are current.

Make the visit easy. If someone saw a truck they liked at Huntington Place, tell them you have it on the lot and how to book a test drive.

We've worked with metro Detroit dealerships for years, and January is still one of the best times to get in front of buyers.

What the Tigers' Late-Summer Run Teaches About Marketing

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 18:29:56 GMT

Ten games out in August, in the playoffs by September. A lesson in sticking with it.

In mid-August the Tigers were 10 games out of a playoff spot, and the odds people gave them were close to zero. Then they went 31-13 the rest of the way, clinched their first postseason berth since 2014 on September 27, swept Houston in the Wild Card round and took Cleveland to five games. Tarik Skubal won the pitching Triple Crown along the way.

Nobody saw it coming, which is the point. The team kept showing up.

Marketing works the same way. The businesses that win aren't always the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that keep going when the early numbers look soft. A campaign that's slow in month one often hits in month three. Awareness builds quietly, then pays off all at once.

So before you cut the ad budget because one month was slow, ask a better question: are we measuring the right thing, over the right amount of time?

And with the holidays here, this is not the week to go quiet.

Election Season Is Coming for Your Ad Budget

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:26:25 GMT

Political ads squeeze local advertisers every fall. How to protect your plan between now and November 5.

Every four years the same thing happens to local advertisers in Michigan. Political campaigns buy up TV and radio time in the fall, and everyone else gets squeezed. With Michigan a battleground state again and national political ad spending forecast to top $10 billion this cycle, 2024 will be no different.

Here's what that means between now and November 5:

Broadcast gets crowded and expensive. Campaigns are buying heavily, and rates can climb fast in the final weeks.

Your spots can get bumped. Preemptible schedules are the first to go.

Viewers get tired. Your message is competing with a lot of noise.

What we recommend:

Lock in fall schedules now if TV or radio matters to your business.

Lean on channels with less political traffic, like search and outdoor, and time your direct mail to land right after the election.

Save some budget for November. After Election Day, inventory opens up and the holiday season begins.

Need help adjusting your fall plan? Let's talk.

Michigan Central and the Power of a Comeback Story

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:23:13 GMT

The old train station is back. Why comeback stories work, and how to tell yours.

Last month Michigan Central Station opened its doors again. For decades the old train station in Corktown was the picture every out-of-town photographer took when they wanted to say Detroit was finished. Trains stopped running there in 1988. Ford bought the building in 2018 and spent six years bringing it back, and on June 6 it reopened with a concert out front featuring Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White, Big Sean and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

It's a great reminder of why comeback stories work in marketing. People love a before and after. They love seeing effort pay off. And they remember the brands that stuck around when it wasn't easy.

Most businesses have a version of this story: the year you almost closed, the move to a bigger space, the second generation taking over. Don't hide it. Put it on your About page, in a short video or in your next mailer. Your history is something no competitor can copy.

Detroit Is Growing. Plan Like It.

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 21 May 2024 18:18:45 GMT

A record NFL Draft and the first population gain since 1957. What a growing city means for local marketing.

It's been quite a spring. Last month more than 775,000 people came downtown for the NFL Draft, smashing Nashville's record of 600,000. Then last week the Census Bureau's new estimates showed Detroit gained residents in 2023, the city's first population increase since 1957.

One year doesn't make a trend, but it's worth paying attention to. A growing city means new neighbors who don't know your business yet, new apartments and storefronts, and more competition for attention.

Three ideas:

Market to newcomers. People who just moved here are choosing their dentist, their pizza place and their mechanic right now. Direct mail to new movers and targeted digital ads can reach them first.

Refresh your basics. Make sure your website and listings tell a newcomer who you are, where you are and why you're worth a try.

Tell your story. Long-time Detroit businesses have something no chain can copy. Use it.

We've been marketing businesses in metro Detroit since 2002, and we've never been more optimistic.

The NFL Draft Is Coming. Is Your Business Ready?

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:12:54 GMT

Detroit hosts the NFL Draft April 25 to 27. Here's how local businesses can get ready now.

In six weeks Detroit hosts the NFL Draft, April 25 to 27, with the main stage downtown around Campus Martius and Hart Plaza. Nashville set the attendance record in 2019 with about 600,000 people over three days, and plenty of people here expect Detroit to beat it.

That's a lot of hungry, thirsty, curious visitors, plus a national TV audience looking at our city. If you run a business in metro Detroit, here's how to get ready:

Plan the offer now. A Draft weekend special only works if people hear about it before they arrive.

Target by location. Digital ads can be fenced around downtown and the hotels, so you reach visitors and not just your regulars.

Update your Google Business Profile. Hours, photos and menus are the first things visitors check.

Staff up and stock up. The worst ad there is: a line out the door and no one to help.

If you want help putting a Draft plan together, give us a call.

What the Lions Just Taught Every Detroit Marketer

Txmcshane@Gmail.com (Eric Turin) — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 18:05:24 GMT

Honolulu blue is everywhere. Here's what local businesses can learn from the Lions' playoff run.

If you drove anywhere in metro Detroit last week, you saw it. Honolulu blue in every window, on every porch and in every office. On January 14 the Lions beat the Rams 24-23 for the franchise's first playoff win in 32 years, and a week later they beat Tampa Bay to reach the NFC Championship Game.

A few things we're taking from it:

People buy belonging. Fans didn't need a reason to wear the jersey. They wanted to be part of something. The best local brands give customers that same feeling.

Show up where the energy already is. The restaurants, bars and shops that leaned into game days this month didn't invent a moment. They joined one.

Be authentic or sit it out. Detroit can spot a bandwagon from a mile away. If your business has real roots here, say so. If not, cheer quietly.

Whatever happens Sunday against the 49ers, this city has been reminded how good it feels to win together. Go Lions.

frontier_3

Introducing AI Enablement at Frontier 3

﻿ Frontier 3 now helps local businesses put AI to work on the everyday jobs that eat up the week.

Radio Still Rides Along

﻿ Metro Detroit spends a lot of time in the car. Why local radio still earns a spot in the plan.

Happy 325th Birthday, Detroit

﻿ Detroit turned 325 last week. What 325 years of reinvention can teach a brand.

Your Reviews Are Your Best Ads

﻿ Most people read reviews before they call. A simple routine to earn more of them.

Billboards in the Age of Scrolling

﻿ You can't scroll past a billboard. How to make outdoor work at 60 miles an hour.