|
|  |
| |
|
| | The Strategic Marketing & Planning Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Use the Calendar to Market Your business | Views: 581 | | Jul 01, 2006 8:02 pm | | Use the Calendar to Market Your business | # | 
Heidi Richards | |
July Marketing Calendar
Did you know that July is National “Doghouse Repairs” Month? Dog treats may be a hit with animal lovers. Give away cookies in the shape of a dog bone… wrap them individually in cello with a little bow, add your business card and pass out at networking events or in your establishment. I purchased the dog bone shaped cookie cutter at a local craft store, took it to my local grocer/baker and they made me 1,000 cookies for this promotion. I also took them on trays to local radio and TV stations delivered by a local actor in a “Scooby Do” - like costume. Check out www.doghouserepairs.com for more ideas.
(FYI: Did you know that Heidi Richards is the brains behind this holiday established in 2000?)
Did you also know???
July 2nd is Freedom from Fear of Speaking Day. If you are afraid of speaking in public, now would be an excellent time to check out your local Toastmaster’s Group or Dale Carnegie Course.
Other Observances in July include:
Cell Phone Courtesy Month - Ever wanted to compose your own ringtone? Tampax feminine products made it easy fun and free with their new downloadable ToonTones™ You will need the special code found on the promotional packages of Tampax Compac – to read more about this program visit: http://tones.beinggirl.co.uk/. Talk about a really uneek marketing concept! (FYI, Did you know that games are second only to ringtones for desired mobile downloads by women?) Make sure that when you are in a meeting or restuarant you turn your ringer off... be courteous to others.
Family Reunion Month - Check local papers or contact local high schools and colleges to find out their schedule for class reunions – Offer to purchase a small ad in their program (a study by the printing industry - I believe) discovered that people have a tendency to keep programs that have nostalgic value) – Your added Lifetime value just went up.
National Grilling Month - Have a barbeque and invite your “best customers.” Have a retail store or in a high-traffic area? Why not set up a barbeques at work and give away “hot dogs?” to your patrons. You could do what Home Depot does and sell them with a drink at cost. Take a picture of the event and send it to the media – with a media release that says “ ABC Company has gone to the “Dogs”… or even send it out before the event letting your local community know about it in advance.
Purposeful Parenting Month – “Polaroid's Visual Learning-Visual Literacy - Built awareness among educators and parents about the importance of visual learning in early childhood. Polaroid and Scholastic created a teacher in-service education program that gave early childhood practitioners the opportunity to earn a continuing education unit (CEU) and/or 10 contact training hours…. Educators could do the program through the guide they received in Early Childhood Today Magazine or through the online course on Scholastic.com and Polaroid.com.” (Source: Scholastic.com) What could you offer parents to make it easier for them to be purposeful parents?. Have a just for kids section in your establishment or on your website – Eden Florist has “themed coloring books” which are given away online in a pdf format.
Social Wellness Month - Offer your services as a consultant to a non-profit organization or community association. Contact community organizations, libraries or industry-specific events about volunteering your services as a speaker – great way to practice your Toastmasters skills.
Tour de France Month - pedal around town advertising your company or hire someone else to do it – get creative and have her or him in a costume that represents your product or services (unless of course your run a nudist colony).
Women’s Motorcycle Month - own a motorcycle? How about taking a picture of you on your bike (or that of a friend) holding your product. Don’t sell a product? Get a t-shirt/ tank top or biker jacket made with your logo on it and ride around town (during the day) for all to see – be sure to include either your website address or phone number so when people see it they stop. Host a motorcycle “run” in your town or tap into one already taking place. Be a sponsor or give away prizes. Maybe a cute little stuffed “dog” with a t-shirt on it sporting your logo. Attend a motorcycle rally and give away flags with your company logo on it.
Freedom Week is July 4-10 Get some inexpensive flags from a dollar store or local distributor or party store – hand them out with your business card attached to the handle and give away at networking events.
Nude Recreation Weekend is July 10-16 - advertise at your local nudist colony… Give out business cards to the guests – no place to put the cards, how about giving them a little “trade show” hanging name pouch for them to put your card in or better yet, make sure your logo is on it. Get several of these so you will have them after the event is over and you can give them away to people with clothes on J Remember the suntan lotion – how about getting little sample packs as an advertising specialty item and giving them away during Nude recreation weekend. If you’re really brave (and it’s not against the law in your area), why not do what a local donut shop in Fort Lauderdale Florida did, serve donuts topless...
National Independent Retailers Week is July 16-22 – a great time to come up with a new campaign for your business -
I Forgot Day is July 2nd – this is a good day to start a “reminder program” for your company. Or have a party!
Independence Day (in the US) is July 4th – Have a Christmas in July event, instead of or in addition to the usual December holiday greeting send a 4th of July card to your clients and customers or how about some colorful flip flops or suntan lotion with your company logo on them.
Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day is July 6th – and she or he will be impressed that you know this and touched by the gesture. A sure way to get a quicker response from those in whom we trust our online endeavors (oh, by the way, if your webmaster/webgoddes is not in the same local as you, send a pizza…)
Chocolate Day is July 7th - Chocolate cafes or lounges are quickly becoming the rage all over the US , presenting themselves as a sweet and cozy alternative to corner coffee houses and bars. "The whole concept of a place to go and just be with your chocolate and celebrate the experience of chocolate is ... wonderful." said Joan Steuer, president of Chocolate Marketing. A chocolate lounge, with their overstuffed couches and an atmosphere that invites its patrons to linger, feels more like a coffeehouses than a candy stores. How can your company get on the bandwagon with this current trend – advertise in your local chocolate café, create a chocolate café corner in your retail establishment, hand out chocolate business cards…
National Ice Cream Day is July 16th – give away ice cream today, buy ice cream for your team members, staff and co-workers
National Get Out of the Doghouse Day is July 17th – In the doghouse with someone? A customer or client perhaps? Now is the perfect time to send a bouquet of fresh flowers. Make them smile and get back on their good side. For a selection of flowers to send anywhere in the world, visit: www.edenflorist.com J.
Special Olympics Day is July 20th – volunteer at the Special Olympics in your home town. As a firm believer in volunteering, I practice Cause Related Marketing more than any other type because I also know that when a group of like minded people get together for a common cause, great things happen in life and in business. And it feels good.
Parents Day is July 23rd – Offer a discount to parents of the two (or four) legged variety J if they bring their “kids” to your business (or not).
(For a more complete list of this month’s observances, visit: http://www.edenflorist.com/holidays.asp)
Wishing you more successful marketing in July… and then some!
Heidi RichardsPrivate Reply to Heidi Richards | | Jul 03, 2006 2:15 am | | re: Use the Calendar to Market Your business | # |
Althea Garner | |
Aargh! I have bloody (and I am not cursing... they really have been bleeding) blisters on my heels from delivering 300 US flags with my promotion postcards! And another 100 tomorrow!
I have been out in the blazing hot sun, 'planting' flags throughout our neighborhood (my Real Estate Farm) for two days and then holding Open House afterwards!
Hey! I'm not complaining... this is just what we do when we are in business, yes? I mean it's great to have a weekend, time with the family etc, but one's success is in direct proportion with the amount of effort put into one's marketing! For example, I was told this week that the number of property sales that I do this year, is the same as the number of client calls I do in a day! Whew! Think I'm not going to do 50 calls a day? You BET I am!
Let's face it - business doesn't simply come to us! If we don't market ourselves (our business) the phone just wont ring!
I LOVE the idea of using "National Day For....." for my marketing - it's different and I will use every excuse to contact my Sphere of Influence!
Thanks for the list ~ just more excuses to get blisters! Yay!
:)
ALTHEA GARNER ... (Star Real Estate)
www.altheagarner.com
Remember... I am NEVER too busy for your referrals!Private Reply to Althea Garner | | Jul 03, 2006 4:51 am | | re: re: Use the Calendar to Market Your business | # | 
GiGi Gaggero | | Athea, I saw some of those flags this weekend up in Northern California. I didn't bend down to see the biz card, however, I really thought that was a very clever idea. Although, sorry to hear about your piggies...Where the heck is "Fountain" California?
Kids Culinary Adventures...Where Math, Reading, Science and Art mix with kids!
Love Food? Listen to talk radio? Come and get” In the Mix with me!!” Love what you eat... and eat what you love!
Read what the San Francisco Chronicle had to say about Kids Culinary Adventures!
Private Reply to GiGi Gaggero | | |
| |
| |
