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National Skin Care Awareness Month – Time for a virtual holiday makeover. In 2008, Sephora, the beauty and skin care company launched a holiday makeover initiative at MistletoeMakeover.com where women (or daring men) could get a virtual holiday makeover using advanced photo-realistic technology to try out the season’s hottest holiday makeup trends and share with like-minded friends. “Mistletoe Makeover” was created by digital marketing firm, EVB San Francisco, in partnership with virtual makeover company, TAAZ.com. “Mistletoe Makeover” exploded online with hundreds of thousands of women creating holiday makeovers. Take a look at Reese Witherspoon’s makeover as Santa’s Little Temptress!!
For more holiday marketing ideas, see my book, Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays at www.QuirkyOffer.com. Free updates for 2010 when you purchase the current edition
September 14th, 2009
Have in common?
They all mark special ”celebrations” on the calendar. For instance September 13th is National Grandparent’s Day – acknowledge your favorite grandparents with flowers or volunteer for or create an adopt-a-grandparent association. Honor those who honor children (of all ages) in a special way. Have a grandparent’s day sale or special offering. Visit a nursing home or assisted living facility and read to or just talk to some of the residents.
September 13th is also Bald is Beautiful Day – if you are a barber you could host a “bald is beautiful contest” and have prizes for the roundest head, the shiniest head, the most interesting head … – In May 2001 Harrisburg Senators partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) for a special fundraiser at Commerce Bank Park. The Senators raised money for the ACS Hope Lodge in Hershey, a place where cancer patients and their families can stay free of charge while patients are receiving treatment at Hershey Medical Center. Bald is Beautiful Day consisted of players and employees offering to shave their heads if their fundraising goal is met.
September 13th is also Fortune Cookie Day – Give everyone a fortune cookie today – you can buy them at a Chinese restaurant or you can special order them online and include your own messages – go to http://www.fancyfortunecookies.com/ or www.goodfortunes.com to create yours or make your own with this recipe at http://www.redheadmarketingblog.com/fortune-cookie-recipe-for-business-success/.
September 13th is also International Chocolate Day – another great day to do a chocolate promotion – carry around gold chocolate coins wherever you go and hand them out with your business card (I use those glue dots to attach the chocolate to my business card and use this as another way to spread the word about my company in a delectable way. A chocolatiere in Florida makes chocolate coins and gives them to prospects wherever he goes, a great way to allow others to offer a sample and promote his business.
For more Weird Holiday Marketing Ideas check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
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September 13th, 2009
Tomorrow (July 20th) is “Get Out of The Doghouse Day®” – a National holiday which my team and I created in 1999 – and one of the things that has become our CLAIM TO FAME. Today got me thinking about some of the strategies we have used to get our name out there to become known in our community and to help others get to know about the products and services my company offers. In 2000 we created a survey to see how people got out of the doghouse (and what put them there in the first place) and in 2001 we created a logo and trademarked the holiday National Get Out of The Doghouse Day®®. We had to create a logo to submit to the United States Patent and Trademark Office – www.uspto.gov.
Speaking of Surveys – did you know that more than 1,000 people actually responded to it? And that was before the advent of online surveys (as we know them today)! In fact, the question I am most often asked is just how we got more than 1,000 people to take the survey. That was the easy part. Since I am and have always been an avid networker, I simply carried my clipboard with the surveys around every where I went. We also asked people when they stopped in my florist, and I even took the surveys on trips and asked people on plane rides, bus rides, at conferences, in waiting areas and let’s not forget the Ladies Rooms! It was such fun meeting so many people. Of course, today would be a lot easier because we could have done this totally online, but the experience would not have been the same for my staff or for me.
And the best part of all is that every year at this time I get dozens of calls from Radio stations around the country asking about the holiday which is the “famous” part. Being interviewed by radio personalities all over the US makes me feel sort of like a celebrity, so I guess you could say “I am famous” for creating this holiday. And yes, it’s still one of my greatest “claims to fame.” In fact, my staff and I have also been quoted in countless newspapers and magazines over the years. So you see, this type of promotion can garner great publicity and you become known for something positive. And the “publicity” could go on for years afterwards.
Webster’s defines famous as: renouned, celebrated, well-known, prominent, legendary.
Each of us fits that definition to some extent. The amount of “fame” each of us achieves however, is only relevant if we use it to our advantage. Here are some ways you fulfill the definition of “famous.”
~ When you write articles and others read them, you are famous.
~ When you have a loyal following of customers, clients and friends, you are famous.
~ When you have written a book, you are famous.
~ When you have volunteered for a fundraiser or some other community service, you are famous.If you’ve ever received an award, you are famous.
~ If you’ve ever done a heroic deed, you are famous.
In what other ways could you be famous?
Actions and deeds that you perform on a personal basis make you famous such as given your heart to a small child or a senior citizen, you are famous. When you’ve mentored someone or helped her or him achieve a goal, you are famous. And countless other ways! And the best part is that you OWN the fame, it is something that can never be taken away from you.
So tell me, what’s your CLAIM TO FAME?
For the REST OF THE STORY, Read the post: MY BEST PROMOTION EVER
Read the article: Women Want Flowers Men Want Sex – Doghouse Survey Says
Have a great story to share? Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey
Check out the Doghouse Survey Press Release and 2009 Contest
Read Top Ten Ways to Stay out of The Doghouse
Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey: http://tulipstalk.com/DoghouseSurvey.pdf
Read some of the FUN stories submitted by our survey respondents on the Tulips Talk Blog
And Check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
July 19th, 2009
– Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale (”National Celebration”) the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. (Source Wikipedia).
Today is Bastille Day
In honor of Bastille Day I thought it would be fun to showcase an event the *American Cancer Society hosts ever year called Jail & Bail.
Jail & Bail is an annual fundraising event that brings together community leaders and ordinary citizens for a common cause… to help fight Cancer!
Jo Walters, David Singer, Sabrina Singer and Marilee Maddox
For many years I was an active participant in Jail & Bail, serving as a Parole Board Member AND a Jailbird!
This year, the American Cancer Society’s annual Jail and Bail event, held recently at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel in Dania Beach, raised more than $150,000.
Here’s how it works: The fundraiser has community members “arrested” by local law enforcement officers and brought to the mock jail. While in custody, these “jailbirds” have unlimited use of a telephone to call friends, relatives, co-workers, business associates, etc…, to raise the bail in pledges to the American Cancer Society. The bail is determined by a “judge” at the “jail”. And, all donations are fully tax deductible contributions to the American Cancer Society.
The local ACS sends media releases with Parole board members names and companies and also provides volunteers with their own press release Template to send out to their own media contacts. This is also a great way to stay top of mind in the media when they are looking for a story or resource.
One of my good friends David Singer (an attorney in Hollywood, Florida) has been the local Jail & Bail chairperson for years. And he and his law firm have received prestigious placement in all the major media outlets in the tri-county area including print, radio AND TV. He works tirelessly to recruit Parole Board members who in turn find people to “arrest.”
And it’s a fun event.
What does Jail & Bail have to do with Marketing? It’s called Cause-related marketing. Whenever businesses support a cause that has potential to reach a lot of people in the community, it helps them not only create goodwill in the community, it often will gain incredible media attention. And that’s the kind of attention most businesses want. Because we don’t have to pay for it and we can feel good about giving back. As a “sponsor” you get visibility on marketing materials, mentioned during planning meetings and in media releases and much more. As a participant you get to work closely with other like-minded volunteers AND maybe even see YOUR name in the media.
Here are 5 tips to help you plan and execute a successful Cause-related Marketing Campaign:
1. Find a cause you can get your arms around. Something that feeds your soul AND does good in the community. You will find it more worthwhile and you will be able to relate better to the people who also believe in the cause – the volunteers, staff and supporters. Organizations are also looking for partners with similar agendas, those who can achieve their goals by partnering with the right businesses and individuals in the first place.
2. Set realistic, measurable goals for your program. Like any other marketing plan, you need to know what outcomes you hope to get from your participation. Include how you will achieve those goals.
3. Create a “partnership agreement” that both parties understand and agree to. A clearly defined agreement will include both “partners” obligations, rights and expectations. Remember this is like any other partnership and if you can add a little formality to it, then the chances of success increase and it creates a sense of comfort knowing in black and white what each partners responsibilities include.
4. Be an ambassador for your Cause. Let everyone in your own circle know what and how you are supporting the organization. You will be pleasantly surprised by how many people will give you a thumbs up and also will want to “help you in your cause.”
5. When all is said and done, do a thorough review to make sure the campaign met your goals, your needs and the expectations of all concerned. Remember that while you want to support a cause you believe in, the bottom line is your support should create awareness of, interest in and customers for your company.
So next time you are trying to decide what community event to support, look at your calendar and see what’s going on and find a local charity to align yourself with. And then let me know what you did. Maybe your story will end up in the next edition of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays.
*The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem—by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer— through research, education, advocacy and service.
Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: GET MEDIA SAVVY!– The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World at: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/get-media-savvy/
July 14th, 2009
July 13-17 is World Who’s Who Week – Want to gain local media attention, exposure for your business and to become the Go-to person in networking? Do what the late Pamela M. Hutchinson of Davie Florida, the creator of Who’s Who in Black South Florida – a directory of black professionals. On several occasion, the local newspapers featured her directory and when she died wrote a glowing tribute to her and the service to the community her directory provided.
It was the impetus for my team creating the Who’s Who Among Women in Ecommerce Directory to promote women who do business on the web. You can check it out here: http://www.wecai.org/whoswho.htm What kind of Who’s Who Directory could you create featuring of a specific group of people or organizations in your community? (BTW, I created this holiday because I could not find one that focused on this topic).
July 13th is Embrace Your Geekness Day – “The future of advertising,” says Charlie Jones, chief marketing officer of RedPeg, an Alexandria, Virginia–based agency, “will be about creating unexpected connections to memorable, real-world experiences in ways that bring brands to life.” So how about electrical outlets in airport terminals? Bradley and Montgomery’s new campaign for Chase Commercial Banking includes ads just above 90 outlets around Indianapolis International Airport. When you plug in your laptop, you see the ad.
Source Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
July 10th, 2009
June 1st is Flip a Coin Day - Heads or Tails? Julius Caesar is credited with starting the practice of flipping a coin to make decisions. His own head was on one side of every Roman coin, so “heads” determined the winner in each flip. People thought “heads” meant that Caesar agreed with the decision. The coin flip was used in serious litigation involving property, marriage and even criminal guilt.
Just think how many lawyers would be out of a job if we went back to flipping a coin as a form of justice. And while it’s an interesting concept, probably not a good way to make business decisions. Imagine if your clients used the flip a coin method to decide if they should do business with you or not? You’d either have twice as many customers or half.
However, you could flip a coin for other things such as deciding on which strategies to start with in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ after all, marketing is all about TESTING to see what works and what doesn’t.
Did you know when you purchase a copy of the Quirky Marketing Calendar, you receive updates for a full year! That’s right, when you purchase the 2009 edition, you will automatically be sent the 2010 edition when it is released! And Quirky Marketing is Your Marketing Calendar. The only holiday marketing guide you will EVER Need again! Check it out now at www.QuirkyOffer.com.
June 1st, 2009
May 16 is Wear Purple Day - Why was purple worn by royalty? Mainly because purple dyes were so hard to make. Using lichen, the plant had to react with ammonia (this meant urine in ancient days) and sit out in the air for 2 weeks. Then it was mixed with pot ash to be used as a dye. This was much harder than just boiling berries or leaves for other colors, so purple dye was only for the wealthy. Today, all you have to do is spill some grape kool-aid and everything turns purple.
It is probably no accident that Seth Godin named one of his national bestsellers Purple Cow. Purple, in addition to being a color of royalty, is one of those colors that stands out, gets attention. And in Purple Cow the whole point is to get noticed in a field of competition by being different. What could you do to promote Wear Purple Day to your clients and prospects? How do you stand out in a crowd? Today is a good day to consider additional ways you could get noticed by your target audience.
Excerpt from the book “Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays (the original holiday marketing guide) ~ www.QuirkyOffer.com
May 16th, 2009
May 12th is Limerick Day – Host a limerick contest that showcases your company’s virtues. A limerick is a five-line poem with a strict form, originally popularized in English by Edward Lear. Limericks are frequently witty or humorous, and sometimes obscene with humorous intent. I hosted a contest on RYZE social networking site and received several entries. Here’s one of the winning entries by Marilyn Jenett of Feel Free to Prosper about Bea Kunz, a member who sells Teas:
Another Ryze member named Bea
Will have you cravin’ her tea,
She’s witty and cool
And nobody’s fool,
And reigns as the “sage” of Tennessee
And one she wrote about her work with the Laws of Attraction:
There’s a Ryzer who teaches the “laws”
With posts that may give you pause,
Doesn’t mean to alarm ya,
Would rather disarm ya
With effects and their probable cause.
Excerpt from the book “Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays (the original holiday marketing guide) ~ www.QuirkyOffer.com
May 12th, 2009
May 10-16 is National Women’s Health Week
– If you are in the healthcare or holistic healthcare industry, now is a great time to offer a “free screening” or even an “encourage a friend to get a checkup” drive.
Create a tips booklet about your topic area and give it to your clients and patients. Tips booklets are an excellent informational premium that people do not throw away. Better yet, ask your clients and patients to give you names of their women friends and offer to send the booklet on their behalf.
Excerpt from the book “Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays (the original holiday marketing guide) ~ www.QuirkyOffer.com
For more information on Marketing to Women, check out the Marketing 2 Women Audio Program created by Women in ECommerce at: http://www.wecai.org/marketing2women.htm (8 audios and workbook for only $27!)
May 10th, 2009
May 9th is World Fair Trade Day - “Fair Trade” promotes and empowers poor farmers in remote areas to participate meaningfully in the global economy and lead to a better life for all. Join the BIG BANG!! BEAT POVERTY BEAT CLIMATE CHANGE BEAT FINANCIAL CRISIS BEAT A DRUM 2009 by buying from companies that practice Fair Trade.
Go to the Fair Trade Resource Network for a host of resources including where to buy, how to make a difference and how to promote World Fair Trade in your community.
Excerpt from the book “Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays (the original holiday marketing guide) ~ www.QuirkyOffer.com
May 9th, 2009
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