The Leading Edge - Fall 2007 - (Page 10)

strAtegy thank clients, set company apart and make lasting impression To send or not to send. Based on the mail each December, more businesses continue to say “send” about holiday cards. The reasons behind the correspondence frequently are to say thanks and to serve as a reminder about your company. “I see companies make huge mistakes on how they approach holiday cards,” says Thom Singer, author of “The ABCs of Networking” and “Some Assembly Required: How to Make, Grow and Keep Your Business Relationships.” “Since everyone sends these cards at the holidays, your clients and other business contacts are bombarded with cards,” Singer says. “While some may feel it is important, in which case they should continue to send them, they must realize that this gesture does not make them stand out.” Family Sunshine Center work with the local mall to host a community event in which children age 12 and younger are invited to create cover options for the holiday card. “We have volunteers help, and we provide balloons for the kids. It’s a positive event for the Family Sunshine Center and Wilson Price,” says Marketing Director Belinda Ressler. Wilson Price buys the crayons and paper—an inexpensive investment. Plus, Wilson Price’s name is publicized when the mall promotes the event and local media frequently cover the event as well. She says a party is held at the office to vote on the best holiday picture to use on the card. The winner receives a $500 savings bond. Ressler says in addition to the publicity, community involvement and client recognition, the “Kids Helping Kids” card has another benefit. “There’s not a debate now about what to do at the holidays,” she says. She opted to “celebrate” with a Chinese New Year card—complete with red envelope and chocolate coins for luck. This year, Coplick says, she will send “birthday wishes” cards because her firm is turning 5. spider in red hat Holmes Pest Control in Tennessee found customizing their holiday cards as the way to stand out. “It is important to not only make the receptionist smile and nod but for the CEO or business owner to really get a kick out of our cards,” says Genma Stringer Holmes. Several summers ago, a brainstorming session resulted in a card eventually nominated for advertising awards. The card’s cover included a silver web with a spider in a red hat hanging on it. Inside, it said “Silver webs, silver webs, soon it will be … Thinking of you at this time of year.” Holmes says that the card jump-started everything. “We then started sending cards at Halloween,” she explains. “Now everyone starts asking in August about our holiday cards.” design contest Wilson Price, a Leading Edge Alliance firm, faced the challenge of sending out holiday cards consistently among its shareholders as well as giving gifts that could be expensive and sometimes end up causing hurt feelings. Now, “Wilson Price Presents Kids Helping Kids” is an annual program that includes the creation of the Wilson Price holiday card and a donation to support the Family Sunshine Center. Each August, Wilson Price and the forget december A few years ago, experts suggested sending Thanksgiving cards to stand out. That trend is being embraced by more companies. Singer says he got six such cards in 2006. “Still, it is easier to stand out as one of six than one of a hundred.” He also receives a St. Patrick’s Day card from a colleague who is of Irish descent. “It is unique and the only St. Patty’s Day card I get,” Singer notes. Singer’s colleague is doing it right. “Cards should reflect their own business personality in terms of the holidays,” says David Brimm on behalf of Quill, an office supply and printing company, which has been in the custom holiday card business for 51 years. “The cards are designed to be unique and specifically for the business professional so that the cards stand out,” he says. Colleen Coplick of Type A Public Relations in Vancouver, Canada, says she tried the December holiday card for a couple years. “It got completely complicated, time-consuming and one year, I didn’t even manage to get them out in time,” the small business owner says. shake it up Last year, Advertising Ventures created the “Giving Game,” an online snowglobe that shook up a charitable gift. The Rhode Island company’s friends and clients received an e-card letting them know they could participate in Advertising Ventures’ long tradition of donating gifts to charities in their honor. Clients clicked on a link that took them to an electronic snowglobe—after clicking “shake,” the snowglobe came up with a visual of a charitable gift with a statement about the gift such as “donate a Hasbro toy to family services.” If the client liked the gift, she or he clicked “donate.” If a different gift was preferred, the client could click “shake” and the process would begin again. The game not only offered an interactive way to thank clients and get them involved but an opportunity to display the staff’s talents in creating the custom e-card and game. 10 VOLUME 8 n ISSUE 1 n FALL 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leading Edge - Fall 2007

Contents More than Money Riding E-Cycles Can Mean Green for Your Business Business Across State Lines - The Tax Implications Holiday Recognition? Bits & Pieces In a Nutshell: Q&A The Leading Edge Alliance

The Leading Edge - Fall 2007

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