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October 2005

RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

Gaye Kruger and Dave Ribble

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4 Brilliant Results | October 2005 www.brilliantpublishing.com

THE 23 BEST LINES IN MARKETING 32This lighthearted list of successful marketinglines reminds us of the difference a few well

choosen words can make to the success ofany marketing or direct mail endeavor.

By Jeffrey Dobkin

BOOMERS: TOWARD A HIGHERMARKETING CONSCIOUSNESS 40

An in-depth discussion of the importance awell-researched approach to marketing to the

various segments of the boomer generationcan make in the overall end result accomplishment of any campaign.

By Brent Green

USABILITY OF WEBSITES FORTEENAGERS 46

If you want to reach them you need to get tothem where they live and for most teens that is

on the Internet. Written by a recognized authorityon website design, this is must read for those

trying to reach the teen market segment. By Dr. Jakob Nielsen

EMERGENCE OF THE EXTENDEDSENIOR CUSTOMER 52

Seniors are becoming the largest segment ofthe U.S. population, learning how to effectively

market to those who help make the buyingdecision will significantly affect success rates

with this target audience.By Michael C. Walker

Contents

8 40 70

columnsPUBLISHER’S LETTER 6

BRILLIANT IDEAS FROM THE SOURCE 60

ADVERTISING INDEX 76Get FREE information from this

month’s advertisers

CALENDAR 78

THE LAST WORD 80Brilliant Results speaks with Gene

Geiger, President and CEO ofGeiger Bros., to understand the

values and philosophy of a company that has been family

operated for 125 years and currently meets the promotional

merchandise needs of some 50,000satisfied customers.

OFF THE CUFF 82Inspiring quotations and

Your Age Is Showing trivia

HOT PRODUCTS…THINGS WE LOVE 57

Brilliant Results previews a treasuretrove of exciting products.

WHAT WORKS 63 Presented By the Promotional Products

Association International (PPAI)Successful Case Studies and research

for your next powerful promotion.

COVER STORY 88 THE COMPANY IMAGE…IT’S IN THE SMALLEST DETAILS

Our interview with Dave Ribble and Gaye Kruger of The Company Image, Inc. is filled with valuable insights about the critical difference a focused promotional merchandise distributor can

make in any organization’s ROI and includes examples from successful campaigns.

TMbrilliant resultsVol. 2, No. 10

features departments

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Publisher’s LetterBrilliant Publishing LLC

9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

Ph: 717.608.5869Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams

[email protected]

EDITORIALEditor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorsMichelle Donofry, Pierce Roberts

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMildred Landis

Cover PhotographStephanie Hager

Contributing WritersJeffrey Dobkin, Brent Green, Dr. Jakob Nielsen,

Michael C. WalkerPPAI - What Works Section

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant PublishingLLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postage paid at MechanicsburgPA and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Please sendaddress changes to Brilliant Results, 9034 Joyce Lane,Hummelstown PA 17036. Volume 2. Number 10. BrilliantResults subscription rates: one-year $120; Canadian $160USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. All subscriptions are non-refundable. Copyright © 2005 Brilliant Publishing LLC. Allrights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept orreject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/ortheir agents, assume the responsibility for any claims againstthe publisher based on the advertisement. Editorial contribu-tors assume responsibility for their published works andassume responsibility for any claims against the publisherbased on published work. No part of this publication can bereproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,including information storage and retrieval systems, withoutwritten permission from the publisher. All items submitted toBrilliant Results become the sole property of BrilliantPublishing LLC. Editorial content does not reflect the views ofthe publisher. The imprints, logos, trademarks or trade names(Collectively the “Marks”) displayed on the products featuredin Brilliant Results are for illustrative purposes only and arenot available for sale. The marks do not represent the impliedor actual endorsement by the owners of the Marks of theproduct on which they appear. All of the Marks are the prop-erty of the respective owners and is not the property of eitherthe advertisers using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

IN THE BUSINESS WORLD we aim, set our sightson, seek out, home in on, pursue, and go for, theobjective, goal, mark, or point. All of these phras-es relate to one word target. Target as defined byThe American Heritage Dictionary – 1.An objectwith a marked surface that is shot at to test accu-racy; 2. Anything aimed at; 3. Something viewedas an object to be acted on with a view to trans-forming it; 4. A desired goal. What is this desiredgoal? In every organization it is to offer for sale aproduct or service, it is to sell. More specifically,the successful endeavor engages in effective target marketing.

Since target marketing is at the core of every organization, this monthBrilliant Results™ has devoted an entire issue to providing our readerswith information about how to target market. Our cover interview andfollow-up campaign examples illustrate the importance of working withprofessional promotional consultants to insure that even the smallestdetail of a campaign portrays your company image accurately.

The 23 Best Lines in Marketing lightheartedly makes the point thatwhat you say and how you say it can make all the difference in achievingyour marketing goals. Followed by articles on targeting major marketsegments – Boomers, Teenagers and Seniors, the information provided bythese recognized experts communicates an understanding of each segment combined with marketing ideas. Our proactive marketing articlehelps you focus on and analysis your business’s targeting efforts, thecomments by our Last Word interviewee provide insight into how a valueoriented company has been serving its customers for 125 years. Finally,Your Age Is Showing Trivia illustrates how difficult it is to answer ques-tions that aren’t in your generation’s experience, which is a part of whatmakes target marketing challenging.

So sit back, enjoy, be informed and if you happen to know the answerto the trivia bonus question, give yourself an extra pat on the back!

Have A Brilliant Day,

Maureen Williams, Publisher

TM


brilliant resultsbrilliant results

262467 Brill492

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The Company Image ~It’s In The Smallest Details

IN A WORLD WHERE IMAGE is everything andyou don’t get a second chance to make a good firstimpression, it is imperative that savvy businessexecutives insure that their marketing and brandbuilding campaigns are on target and deliveringtheir message clearly and correctly. Because eventhe smallest detail can alter the customer’s percep-tion of a product or service, one of the best ways toinsure message clarity is to utilize the services ofan outside promotional merchandise consultant.

This month Brilliant Results had the opportuni-ty to speak with one company with the philosophy “Regard the small as important; makemuch of the little.” That philosophy encapsulateswhat it takes to insure that your company’s image isprojected with the excellence demanded in today’sbusiness climate. The Company Image, Inc. bringssome 20 years of experience and award winningcreativity to any boardroom table, so get ready tofocus on your company image as Dave Ribble andGaye Kruger share some of that expertise alongwith a number of successful case studies.

BR: Give our readers a little background information on Dave Ribble and Gaye Kruger:

GK: I grew up in a “showbiz” family. My sis-ters, Dee Dee and Debbie Jean, and I were

always putting on plays, singing musicals orwhatever we could think of. Just imagine me at 6years of age, performing “I Enjoy Being A Girl”from Flower Drum Song with all the bumps andgrinds to go with it for my parents and theirfriends! I attended Interlochen Arts Academy inMichigan and Neighborhood Playhouse in NewYork before going on the road, acting, singingand dancing in more than 40 musicals. I latermoved to California, doing television shows andcommercials and performed in Los AngelesTheater, mostly in musical comedy. Although Ihad a successful 25-year run in show business,this industry, in some ways, has been morerewarding. As an actress, I was the only productsolution that I could sell to a director or producer.In this business, I have thousands of solutions.

BR: From show business to the promotionalproducts industry seems like a leap…

GK: Actually, there are aspects to this businessthat have similarities to show business. ScottMcKain wrote a book called, All Business is ShowBusiness, which talks about how all of us love tobe entertained, rather than just sold to. He saysthat one survey showed that over 70 percent ofshoppers would switch stores if it were more

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Brilliant Results | October 2005 9www.brilliantpublishing.com

entertaining to do business elsewhere. So,yes, show business does play a part in get-ting the attention our clients are looking for.

I’d like to go back one of these days totheater roles. But for now, I’m having a lot offun providing our clients with creative ideas.I think our clients love that I come from aperformance background because theynever know when I might burst into song inthe middle of a meeting. Why not? Its all partof enjoying what you do, isn’t it? We have ablast in those brainstorming sessions.

BR: What about you, Dave? Are you alsofrom show business?

DR: Part of me always wanted to be, butI grew up on a 52-acre farm in north-centralIndiana and attended Fairmount HighSchool, the same school that graduatedJames Dean back in the ’50s and Jim Davis,the creator of “Garfield.” My earliest recol-lection is that I had a basketball in myhands at age 4, so you can imagine that Iwas involved in every sport that camealong. As I got older, I worked at a couple of

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very small radio stations when I wasn’t working for myDad as a painting contractor. It was a great place togrow up.

Like so many others in the late ’60s, I headed forCalifornia and my ‘dream job’ of working at Disneyland.I eventually graduated from Chapman University with adegree in business with emphasis in marketing. My firsttaste of this industry was as general manager for a smalldistributor in Orange County, and later as regional man-ager for supplier Rand McNally, covering 13 westernstates. After several years, I became the first Californiarep for Leeds Business Accessories before switchingover to the distributor side again, as director of businessdevelopment for Wood Associates. I also earned myMaster Advertising Specialist certification from PPAI.My show business side is limited to singing with Gayeat an occasional wedding and hosting legendary PotluckKaraoke Parties for our friends.

BR: Why did you start The Company Image? DR: Our passion is in the detail of everything our clients

do that has anything at all to do with their ‘CompanyImage.’ Clients kept asking our advice on many aspects ofthis, and we found that we really loved going beyond thetypical ways of being of service. I had registered the DBAover 30 years earlier, so when the opportunity seemedright, we launched TCI and affiliated ourselves with Geiger.

BR: It is interesting that you found yourselves goingwell beyond just selling promotional merchandise.

DR: One of our favorite quotes is from Lao Tzu, thegreat Chinese Taoist philosopher: Regard the small asimportant; make much of the little. The Company Imageis about every aspect of our client’s business.

GK: When you stop and think about it, the way thereceptionist answers the phone, the way a client’s liter-ature is written and the way their products are pack-aged all have to do with their company’s ‘image.’ Theycan have the coolest giveaways for their tradeshow everinvented. But, if they aren’t paying close attention tohow their personnel present themselves in the booth,their image can be tainted, and they don’t even know itis happening. We pay attention to every aspect of whatour customer is going to do so that we can make recom-mendations based on many years in this business.

DR: We study their business and their industries. Wepartner with them. We ask a lot of questions, and we con-tinually probe to understand not only their desires but alsothe reasons for the outcomes they wish to have. The ‘small

as important’ attitude has great bearing on whether or notour clients continue to enjoy an edge over their competi-tors. For us, it is what we love and what we do well. We’relike having that additional marketing arm there – withoutthe overhead. Our clients really appreciate it.

BR: Does TCI have a particular focus/mission statement?DR: Our mission statement is that we are here to

measurably improve the lives of our customers. Ourcustomers have dreams and aspirations. They arehuman and they want to be taken care of. We focus onimproving their situation by paying very close atten-tion to the details that will help them be successful.Also, we partner with the individual people within thecompanies we serve, not just the corporation as awhole. It’s not unusual for them to tell us theyreceived promotions and bonuses from the projectswe teamed with them on. Whatever it takes to makethem look good and the objectives met is our focus.When they win, we win.

BR: There is a lot of careful consideration and manypeople involved, then?

DR: We may be the conductors of the orchestra, butcertainly not the only ones contributing to the symphony.Walt Disney knew that anyone could have a good idea, soearly on at the studios, he installed blackboards along thewalls where his creative teams worked, instructingeveryone in the company to put all their challenges on theboard so that anyone with a good idea could contribute.He reasoned everyone can be creative, and he was cor-rect. First, everyone needs to know the challenges. Weshare that same philosophy by enlisting our vendor part-ners to help us find the right recommendations.

GK: Our clients can thumb through catalogs, or go onlineto our idea-generating Web site (www.TCI4Me.com) anddo some brainstorming. However, they don’t have tobecause they know that we will do the research for them.We stay on top of what is hot, different, unique, cool andavailable. They know that when we go to work on some-thing for them, it is hundreds of people involved, from ourassociates at Geiger to our vendor partners around theworld. They know we will deliver five or 10 good ideas, andtwo of them will knock their socks off.

DR: The sooner they bring us into the process, thebetter they will be able to plan out their programs in thebest possible ways. Just as we are committed to ourclients, our clients are typically committed to us in thesame manner, making us their primary, if not exclusive,promotional products company.

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BR: Our readers are your customers. What kinds ofchallenges, from the distributor side, do you run into inworking with your customers?

GK: It cannot be just about slapping a logo on a prod-uct. It has to be about coming up with a “Wow” thatgets attention or, at the very least, helps drive home themessage. It is challenging when the client wants to justget something to give away without caring about whatit is or how it should be used and distributed. We wouldalmost rather not take the order if it is going to do little,if anything, for the client.

DR: This is why it is so critically valuable for them tocall us into their brainstorming sessions way ahead ofthe needs. Most of our clients who have worked with usfor any length of time bring us into those meetingsbecause they know the good that can come from it.

BR: What do you think are the biggest challenges yourcustomers face in using promotional products in theirmarketing mix?

DR: Promotional products as a mainstream methodof attracting attention and helping to capture marketshare is still not everyone’s first thought as they areplanning their strategies. Yet, our medium is, arguably,the most cost-effective as well as measurable, of anyform of advertising. Think about how many times youlook at a calendar on the wall every day or write withthat pen that has someone’s information on it. All ofthat represents Cost Per Impression. Every time youlook at that calendar, it makes an impression on yourbrain. The more times you look at it, the more timesyour subconscious records that information. Divide thenumber of times you look at it into the cost of the item,and the right promotional products end up costing theend user fractions of a cent. No advertising mediumdoes better than that.

GK: Twenty years ago, ad agencies didn’t have depart-ments that were well versed in promotional products.Today, many of them do because they see how effectiveuse of these items can enhance and even compliment theother advertising forms their client incorporates.

BR: Let’s talk about pricing. Do most of your clientstalk price as their biggest concern? Should it be?

GK: Price sometimes comes up in the initial meetingswe have with new clients because companies are tryingto get the most for their investment. But, after the clientdevelops a comfort level with us, price takes a back seatto quality and to service issues. What should be of

utmost concern is whether the product they are choos-ing will be the right one for the job. In other words, whatis the desired outcome worth?

DR: ROI is more important than pricing. Anyone cancome in and undercut pricing. We focus on what thereturn will be for the investment of money and time inhelping to dream up the right execution.

BR: What about when companies have a policy thatstates they have to get three bids on everything?

GK: We do sometimes run into this situation, butrarely, because we generally work with the marketingand promotional sides of companies. They have to bemore creative, and, consequently, they understand andappreciate our talents and how hard we work for theirbusiness. Requiring three bids on a job effectively toss-es creativity to the wind and can destroy the effective-ness between our client and working together longterm. Think of us as an agency relationship because weare going to be there, day in and day out.

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BR: How do you help your clients understand how togo after their target market?

DR: It’s not enough to ask what the client is tryingto accomplish. We want to know why, what theircompetition is doing, what our client has donesuccessfully in the past, what capturing theattention of this target market would/couldmean to them and what they are willing to allo-cate in terms of resources to make that happen.

GK: Often, our inquiries uncover informa-tion that sometimes the client didn’t evenknow was there. Perhaps they had a badexperience in the past because they didn’thave all the facts about a particular targetaudience, and they launched their campaignthe wrong direction. In fact, they might evenhave phobias about doing anything new ordifferent. We continually probe and help themget to the bottom of their concerns so that wecome up with solutions that will work for them.

BR: It sounds like you two are part promotion-al products experts and part psychologists foryour clients.

GK: I guess we are. We have to be. Our clients areworking hard at trying to make things happen but do nothave time to research and explore everything that couldhelp them. We provide the inside scoop on what theiroptions are, what they can do, what they might want tothink about and how we can help them make it happen.They’re not alone. That’s part of what we provide.

BR: Judging by your case history examples, you real-ly do think outside the proverbial box at times. The“Comparitor” that you created for a pharmaceutical com-pany is a great example. Tell us more about that, in termsof the client and their target market.

DR: There are very strict rules when promoting phar-maceutical products. We wanted to create a teachingtool for the doctors to show their patients. Their partic-ular product is a special fluid they can inject into a kneethat replaces the fluid that has been lost. In some cases,this fluid will prolong the need for knee surgery andreplacement by several years.

GK: First, I needed to sketch out our ideas based onwhat the client explained was the difference betweentheir product and three similar competitors’ products.So, we contacted our friends, Don Harley and CoreyWood at Designer Selections, who are marvelously tal-ented at coming up with the engineering that would be

needed for this special project. The item needed to be afully functioning sales tool that demonstrated how

our client’s product works. It had to be dramatic,too, in that this same tool could be used to

explain the process to the patient in a way thatwould not be threatening, but very helpful.

GK: The liquid inside the tubes also con-tained a ball bearing, so that when you turn thepiece upside down, it is visually simple to seethe differences between the various fluids, interms of how slow or fast the weighted objecttravels to the bottom. Even from my firstsketches, Designer Selections knew what todo and how to build the product. The clientwas very happy, and their new product com-paritor will continue to do the job of tellingtheir story. We love this kind of challenge.

BR: And there was a “Calendar Wheel” youdesigned for the client, too?

GK: Critical to the procedure is that thepatient needs to know when to come back in to

see the doctor, and there are two more visits nec-essary. So, I worked with engineers to design and

build a Calendar Wheel that the doctor could refer tofor setting the additional appointments.

BR: Tell us about other ways you’ve helped your clientsgo after their target audience in such unique ways.

GK: One of the terrific suppliers Brilliant Results inter-viewed recently was our friend, Darrin Trudeau fromCreative Leather Imaging. His catalog now sports a pic-ture of the great DuWop Clutch Bag that we designed forour client, DuWop Cosmetics. Darrin worked closely withus to provide this amazingly beautiful bag that wasgiven to celebrities at the last Oscars, complete withDuWop’s cosmetics inside. This product was designedfrom the ground up, with callouts for the lining, the zip-per, the custom zipper pull, the colors and the imagerythat Darrin’s company replicated. Our friends at DuWopcontinue to receive the benefits from this custom appli-cation and the marvelous attention it is getting them.

BR: And, what about Mattel? What did you do for them?GK: Both the Hot Wheels and Barbie divisions give out

awards to their prestigious sales force around the world,and we were asked to help develop custom awards. Wewere asked to make their very special designs a reality.They had to be the Oscars, if you will. The best awardsthey could provide to their valued recipients.

“There are

very strict rules

when promoting

pharmaceutical

products. We

wanted to create

a teaching tool for

the doctors to

show their

patients.”

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BR0905_Section03 9/1/05 2:20 AM

DR: So, if you are trying to create an Oscar…

GK: Go to the people who do theOscars! We went to Joseph Petreeand our friends at R.S. Owens,because they are the ones whodo the Oscars. The first challengewas to take Mattel’s design and make itwork, from an engineering standpoint.Barbie is long, tall, flowing. The base isweighted and the actual finished prod-uct is as tall as an Oscar. Getting thatstar at the top of her hand to be fitted tothe piece in the proper way took a lot ofprototypes and modifications to make itright. Joseph and his team are incredible.

The next challenge was in creatingsomething unique and amazing for the HotWheels folks. Once again, the designers at Mattelworked closely with us in developing that knock yoursocks off award that is unique and beautiful and cher-ished. Just look at the workmanship that R.S. Owens putsinto these awards. As Mattel’s Ricardo Crespo remarkedjust the other day, “You Guys Are Rock Stars.” We arevery proud of these awards and the work from everyonebehind the scenes to help make them so amazing.

BR: Does TCI specialize in providing services to a par-ticular business segment (technology, entertainment,manufacturing, pharmaceutical, etc.) or does TCI workwith multiple business sectors?

DR: We have worked with about every industry cate-gory – entertainment, pharmaceutical, industrial, con-struction, retail, manufacturing, healthcare and commu-nications. It would be difficult to name an industry wehaven’t serviced.

BR: We understand that TCI is affiliated with the Geigerorganization. Can you explain the synergy of this industryaffiliation and its potential benefit to your clients?

GK: When you consider that Geiger is the largest pri-vately held distributor of promotional products in theworld, it is easy to see that our clients benefit greatlyfrom our affiliation with Geiger. This synergistic approachprovides our clients the best of all worlds; best pricing,guarantees on product and delivery, consistent follow upby teams of experts who help us help our clients.

DR: Geiger affords us exclusive representation on cer-tain items, such as the Farmer’s Almanac and all thedated products from their Time By Design division.

Additionally, Geiger has one of thetop online company store pro-grams in the industry, headed up

by Chris McKee and his team. LisaSchulz from Geiger Total Care regularly

confers with us to ensure our clients arebeing well taken care of in every respect.

Cathy Vasquez, our sales service coordina-tor, continually updates us with proactive

research on new items that would workwell for our customers, and she is justone of dozens of talented coordinatorsand research experts. Suffice to say, GeneGeiger is the tremendous leader of atremendous company. Our affiliation withGeiger is as good as it gets for our clients.

BR: Do you have any ideas about how to reacha target audience that doesn’t control the cash and

facilitate their efforts to motivate a purchase by the cash-controlling individual (i.e. the youth market and/or thosewho don’t control a company’s purse strings)?

GK: Take a look at our case histories for the on-packoffers for video sales. We have, for example, caused con-sumers to purchase a video at a store because the pre-mium they received was something they really wanted.We call that behavior modification. When you thinkabout it, our marketing efforts are just that: we providethe target market with motivation. We get the targetaudience to “do the things we want them to do so theycan get the things they didn’t know they needed.” Wehave several examples of this kind of approach to ourclient’s target audience.

BR: When it comes to understanding your client’s tar-get audience what processes do you use?

DR: We cannot expect to understand everythingabout our client’s needs if we don’t get to know them.So, we do a lot of research. Anything the client will giveus to study, we study. We go out to Web sites; we go tolike-minded sites to see how people think. We ask a lotof what we call ‘crossover’ questions that sometimes tellus more than the client even knew, which helps us gainnew perspective. Mostly, we listen because that is whenpearls of wisdom and insights are allowed to shine.

BR: In your experience, demonstrate the power of pro-motional merchandise in a targeted marketing campaign.

DR: Companies have to remember that promotionalmerchandise, when used the right way, will tell the


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client a lot of information because it is a medium that ismeasurable. PPAI has conducted surveys on the impactof placing an interesting promotional item inside a directmail piece vs. not to see what the different outcomemight be. In several instances, the hit rate for thosedirect mail pieces went up by a ratio of 2-to-1 over justsending the information without the promotional iteminside. That’s pretty powerful, and the right promotion-al products will do that for you if you choose wisely andcarry off the right execution to the promotion.

GK: If you are trying to get someone to give you moreinformation about themselves for your database, theright promotional item will likely get the target audienceto do what you want. If you want to encourage your tar-get audience to make a purchase, try something out,read the literature, take a look at your products or askmore questions, the right promotional products can dowonders. For every item you give away, you know youare getting something in return. That’s measurable mar-keting, and it is the intelligent way to go.

BR: What strategy should our readers use in putting apromotional campaign together for their marketing/salesand employee programs?

GK: Bring us in as your promotional products special-ists and include us in your conversations way ahead ofthe needs. Include us in your brainstorming sessions,your planning sessions, and especially in budget sessions

because what we know can help you spend your market-ing and promotional dollars the smartest ways. Ourclients give us that avenue necessary to really team withthem, and it pays off every time.

DR: A good example is what we were able to accom-plish for EMI Capitol Records. The 30th Anniversary of“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album by theBeatles was coming up, and Capitol wanted to com-memorate the special milestone with something thatwould be a limited edition.

GK: We reviewed all the archive material, and Inoticed the medals on the uniforms and suggested wecould create custom medals with the Sgt. Pepper logoand “30th Anniversary” on them. These would be once-in-a-lifetime collectibles given to retailers and industryprofessionals to promote the re-mastering and distribu-tion of this classic Beatles album. We worked with theart department at EMI Capitol, then called HankRiccitelli and the team at our supplier, Providence, whocreated the sample that would have to be approved bythe surviving Beatles at the time: Paul McCartney, RingoStarr and George Harrison. We created 1,000 limited edi-tion medals. Recently, we saw one of the medals sellingon eBay for 3,000 times the original cost. It is fun to cre-ate limited-edition products because it can really cap-ture a lot of attention for our client’s promotion.

BR: Who are the principal clients of TCI?DR: Our client list is broad-based. Americorp Funding,

Turner Construction, Universal, Warner Bros., CarseyWerner, Blue Cross, Wellpoint, Big Five, Mattel, BAM

Productions, Building Industry Association, GarrettInteriors, Hallmark Channel, LINC LA, Comcast,

Agua Dulce Vineyards, DuWop Cosmetics,Healthcare Partners, Warner Pacific,

Metrocities Mortgage and many others

BR: Give us an example of how TCIcaptures attention for your ownTarget Audience.

DR: Last year, we decided to haveour own trade show booth at the

Building Industry Association NationalShow. It was a challenge. Here we

were, setting up our little 10x10 booth inbetween all sorts of companies, and we

needed to ensure we captured everyone’sattention who came near our booth. So, we set up

criteria to see if we could draw as many to our booth as possible.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:35 PM

BR1005_Section03 9/23/05 2:25 AM


GK: Our techniques worked. We had the busiestbooth at the show because we came there withfun things to do, interesting displays, instant-win opportunities, a drawing for gifts worth alot of money and an attitude that said wewere good people to work with. We also hada system for capturing good information,given to us with permission. In just twodays, we garnered more than 250 goodleads and won the approval of everyone atBIA. Several other companies also asked forour help for next year, which was a veryhigh compliment. It was more successfulthan we even imagined, and we are stillgetting great PR as well as business fromthat two-day show.

BR: Do you use promotional merchandise tothank clients?

DR: We love to thank our clients, and welike to send something to them that is per-sonal because we believe that it really hitshome to them that we take our valued rela-tionship with them personally.

GK: When you think about it, it’s all personalto us. We’re investing our time, energy, moneyfor samples and our creativity into helping ourclients move their products/services along. We’rehelping them get where they are trying to go, tothrive, to capture more market share, to gain recognitionor whatever else they have as objectives. If you aregoing to devote that much of your own life to someoneelse, it is not unlike a marriage. That’s pretty darn per-sonal.

In fact, Dave has put these and other perspectivestogether and is writing and speaking on this subject: “It’sALL Personal, Not just Business” ™, a flipside to the pop-ular business phrase we see in business schools and on“The Apprentice.” He talks about a company’s ‘CompanyImage’ and how it relates to everything that companydoes, both internally and externally. Promotional prod-ucts, and the choices on which ones to use and why, willbe a part of it.

BR: What in-depth assistance do you provide yourclients in helping them improve, as you say, their own‘Company Image’?

DR: There are so many facets to this, and sometimes,we see things our clients do not. Is it ok, for example, tohave an automated system answering your phones as

the first point of contact? Are people being turnedoff? That first impression is critically important.

Yet, too many times we see companies beinghurt unnecessarily because they don’t recog-nize the significance.

GK: If we are working with a client whois going to have a booth at a trade show,will their information, their display, theirbrochures, their giveaways and their attire all speak to showing off theircompany’s best ‘company image?’Sometimes, details are left out. Are theyattracting their target audience? Arethey taking their best shot at their tar-get audience wanting to do businesswith them? Did they, invest in a bettershirt or uniform so that the embroideredlogo is perfect? Did they choose a pro-motional product giveaway that willlook great and carry their logo the bestpossible way so that when the show isover, the good ‘company image’ is still

working for them? Are they using theproducts to get valuable information from

their target audience?

BR: How else do you work with your clients inseparating them from their competition? DR: There are many very talented trainers out

there. Among them, I count John Wilson, Kecia Wimmer,Jeff Hoffman, Chris Berg, and Dorothy DeBrisay as ded-icated and talented coaches/associates. They’ve puttogether a dynamic Master-Mind business group basedin the Los Angeles area called LINC LA that we are partof. Every week, we meet to study ways to segmentaway from the competition and to provide superior serv-ice. We incorporate this valuable information and train-ing in to everything we do for our clients.

GK: At TCI, we constantly ask: What else can wehelp our client do to set them apart from their competi-tion in the eyes of their target audience? It is a never-ending process because we have to be on our toes incoming up with new and interesting ways for our clientsto convey that message.

BR: Tell us about your relationship with vendor part-ners and how that can help your clients.

DR: At TCI, we actively engage and enlist our vendorpartners in this process. We share everything we canwith them because we know that the more they can

“If we areworking with

a client who isgoing to have abooth at a tradeshow, will their

information, theirdisplay, their

brochures, theirgiveaways and their

attire all speak to showing off their company’s best

‘companyimage?”

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:35 PM

understand, the better the chances that they will helpus come up with unique ideas for our client. We’ve beendoing this successfully for over 20 years and haveearned the respect of our vendors because we truly dopartner with them in every way possible. The result ofthis is our clients always win.

GK: Dolly Duffy, our good friend from Atchison BagCompany, worked directly with us for a phenomenallysuccessful campaign for one of our clients. Atchison hasa great new bag line, and we had a short timeframewith which to get these products created and down tothe offsite location in Mexico before the event began.Atchison really had to hustle, and they pulled it offbeautifully. The client was very pleased.

BR: What do you see as the future of TCI?DR: Hopefully, more new clients will invite us into

their inner sanctum where future decisions are beingmade about marketing, advertising, promotion, employ-

ee recognition, online stores, business-to-business rela-tionships, as well as business-to-consumer, so that wecan help them reach and exceed their objectives. Oncewe are on the other side of the desk and helping ourclients really think about what it is they want to accom-plish, we are very good at helping them get there. Whenyou consider all the free consulting we provide, ournumber of years of experience and our sourcing capabil-ities, our satisfied and happy clients tell us we are onthe right track. That pleases us to no end.

As a special part of this interview, The CompanyImage has provided an outline of a number of highly suc-cessful promotional campaigns. We believe that theyillustrate the difference a promotional products consult-ant can make in developing standout-marketing strate-gies. If you are interested in what The Company Image,Inc/Geiger can do for you and your company, Dave andGaye can be reached by email, at [email protected] and [email protected] or by phone, at 818-906-9894.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:36 PM


The Company Image … Case Studies

Mattel Barbie and HotWheels AwardsProject: Create an award that will be given nationally and internationally to Licensees for outstanding peformance in Advertising Design and Sales. Desired Result: Create an Award that is so coveted to receive that the licensees are motivated to perform

beyond their goals just to be acknowledged as a recipient. Get the “OSCAR” or the “EMMY” WOW factor.We selected R.S. Owens to help make Mattel’s vision a reality. If you want it to look like the Oscar than get

the factory that makes the Oscar. We worked with Joseph Petree and his team on both awards. The designswere ambitious and detailed and demanded many prototypes and adjustments until we completed the firstaward for each brand. The feedback has been sensational.

DUWOP Custom Make Up BagMy clients Christina and Laura the co owners of DUWOP, which manufactures splendidly wonderful cos-

metics, got the ok to provide custom bags with their logo on that would be part of the Goodie Bags that everycelebrity presenter of the Oscars receives. They approached me to create a very upscale leather makeup bagthat would be suitable to put their products in. Since DuWop is a fairly new product line that is gaining momen-tum in the retail world, we knew that if we could develop something really cool for them, their notoriety couldgo through the ceiling. They had a bag that they liked but I knew about a process they didn’t that would makethis bag truly unique. Their slogan is … ‘Tricks of the trade, beauty products with a twist that sets it apart…’

I wanted to create a bag for them that would set them apart with their target audience of celebrity presen-ters at the Academy Awards. I called on Darrin Trudeau at Creative Leather Imaging to make our concept a real-ity. The DuWop gals found a fabric they really liked scanned it and pixilated it to create the look they were goingfor. Darrin then created a sample from my template and put the design on the leather. It looked amazing but weneeded it to pop more so we picked the perfect color contrasting piping and moiré lining. I suggested we havethe zipper pull be a “D” in their logo font to help achieve the designer look we were going for. The result was abag that they were so proud of they increased the order and gave them away to their own clients for the holi-days. DuWop continues to receive rave reviews for their line of cosmetics and requests for where folks can getthose Clutch Bags!

SYNVISCWe decided to compare the viscosity of normal synovial fluid to the competitors and Synvisc. Wyeth

Pharmaceuticals provided the data and we worked with Don Harley and Cory at Designer Selections to createour working model. It took several tries to calibrate the metal balls so that when turned over the balls wouldfall at the correct rate to match our data. We also created an injection wheel. This allowed the doctor or nurseto turn the wheel to the 1st injection date and then go to the arrow that pointed to the next injection date in 10days and the 3rd in 6 months.

Photographed by Stephanie Hager



BR1005_Section01 9/23/05 3:40 AM

asi/55630

Custom Quotes: Please supply a careful description of theobject to be created, size and quantity breaks. Fax of art or

photos can help us see detail. Using this information our artistsand estimators design and develop drawings with quotes of the

proposed die cast model with all the pricing up front on artmolds and per piece cost. If an order is placed you are proofedthe model at enough different points throughout the production

process to be confident in the final run.

Making Things People Keep

asi/55630

REPLICAS

OF YOUR PRODUCT

BR0905_Section03 9/1/05 2:01 AM Page 37



Universal Globe Commemorates the Purchase of 50% interest in Universal Orlando

My client Universal Studios Orlando recommended our company to their new Partner Blackstone Group with thechallenge to create a memorable tombstone to commemorate the purchase of a 50% interest in Universal Studios. Atthe time it was the largest purchase the company had made. In New York, I met with the principles to design this special piece. They wanted to include the icon of the Universal Globe, which is at the gate of the park. I made asketch that everyone agreed would look great. But, the clients wanted to know if the globe could turn on its base likethe one in the park that perpetually turns.

I called on my favorite team at Designer Selections and faxed them my rough sketch. We all went to work and 3 weekslater after many changes we came up with a spectacular piece. The client was delighted to give this amazing piece of artto all involved with the project. It was a proud symbol of good will toward the new partnership.

WELLPOINT EXPO “Grow With Us” ThemeWellPoint is a leading health care company in the United States and we wanted to motivate agents even further

by giving them the information and tools to grow their own businesses. WellPoint forms a partnership betweenthe company and its agents with the intention to grow, learn, and challenge them to be all they can be.

When we asked Linda Reynolds, our WellPoint client, what the purpose of the Expo was. She said, “TheWellPoint Agent Sales EXPO was the brain child of our Sr. Vice President, Alan Katz. He wanted a forum where themany agents, who sell Blue Cross, Blue Cross of California, UNICARE, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield products, couldget together and network, attend educational seminars, and have a great time with top name entertainment andspeakers. This format also allows all of WellPoint’s top management to interact with agents and gives them anopportunity to share the latest product information. The main audience is brokers and agents who sell our product.”

It is very important to make sure that the event is a WOW that motivates them to increase sales through theyear so they can “earn” coming back the next year for FREE.

We were asked to come in with ideas that fit the theme and continued to carry the message long after the eventended. One of the items was a totally custom in-room gift that would greet them on arrival. A custom wooden boxthat housed custom stationary with a debossed tree that matched the branded tree on the box was designed andmanufactured. We also did a twig pen with the “Grow with Us” theme branded on it. I worked with Lauri at Okinaon the seed paper hangtags and seed paper bookmarks with instructions to soak in water, plant and watch it grow.The birch candleholder was one of the themed items we created for the on site store.

Big 5 Employee 50th Anniversary Holiday GiftThis year is the 50th Anniversary of our client Big 5. We assist them every year with the holiday gifts for their man-

agers of their stores. It’s always tough each year to top what we did the last year. It seemed a natural to do something that commemorated the 50-year milestone. We created a custom tapestry throw that would be an heirloom in the next 50years. I always want to make the presentation special and we wrap the gifts for Big 5. This year I surprised them with acustom package made for the throw.

It had the necessary WOW effect.

SGT. PEPPER 30TH ANNIVERSARY MEDALEMI Capitol Record wanted to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper Album. They

called us in early in the process. As I sat in the brainstorming session with the marketing team we reviewed allthe archival material on Sgt Pepper. I noticed the metals on the jackets of the uniforms and suggested creatingthem with the Sgt Pepper logo and the 30th anniversary. These would be once in a lifetime collectable given toretailers and industry professionals to promote the remastering and distribution of the classic Beatles album.We created and worked with the art department at EMI to achieve the final design then called on Hank Riccitelliand the team at Providence to complete the sample for approval by the surviving Beatles. We received theirapproval and created 1000 metals.

I recently saw one of the medals on EBay selling for 100 times its actual cost!





BR1005_Section01 9/23/05 3:41 AM



Wilcox and Wilcox Survivor giftWilcox and Wilcox were vendor sponsors for a Building Industry event in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Their target audi-

ence was comprised of the builders attending the event. The first night of the event there was a reception where eachone of the sponsors had a table that the builders would go to and receive information about the company and some gift.

We created the most talked about and visible gift at the event, a bright orange towel with a black imprint (Wilcox andWilcox’s colors) of a take off on the Survivor logo. Instead of the man with the spear or torch we had a man with a hardhat and a shovel. We did the matching logo on a bag from Atchison with the reverse colors of the orange imprint on theblack bag. Sherry at Wilcox and Wilcox told me that everywhere you looked for the whole weekend you saw the Wilcoxand Wilcox Survivor towel and bag. People even joked about Surviving Cabo. It was a home run.

That 70’s Show Publicity PromotionWe have been working with Carsey Werner for the past 16 years promoting their TV shows and recognizing

their employees and vendors with holiday gifts. Some of the shows that we have promoted are: The CosbyShow, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, and Third Rock From The Sun.

When Publicity wanted an item to send out to promote That 70’s Show, we created a small wallet sized retrofold out for wallet size pictures. One side features the actor’s real headshots and the other side showcased theiralter ego 70’s character.

WHITESNAKE MEDALLIONGeffen Records asked me to come up with an item to commemorate the success of the Whitesnake album.

On the art for the album cover was a beautiful medallion with the Whitesnake logo. I suggested doing a limitededition 1 – 400 (consecutive numbering) of the medallion. Number 1 was given to David Geffen, and number400 was given to David Coverdale the Whitsnake lead singer. Years later I find the medallions in the offices ofnew clients. It’s always in a place of honor or protected under glass with other music industry collectables. Thiswas a must have item and those that received it had bragging rights.

Carsey Werner Holiday GiftOver the last 15 years…we have created many successful Holiday gifts for employees and vendors from cus-

tom jackets with tone on tone lining with all the show logos to complete camping equipment in a giant Santasack. With a nod to the poker craze, the gift last year for the vendors was a case we put together that includedmagnetic chess, checkers, backgammon, and poker with chips Carsey Werner ergonomically shaped playingcards and dice.





BR1005_Section01 9/23/05 3:41 AM

BR1005_Section03 9/23/05 2:35 AM



UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ESCAPE Traffic BuilderUniversal Studio Florida and Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure, a new Universal Studios Florida park, was getting ready to open in a year. An industry trade show in Chicago to be held prior to the park opening provided an awesome opportunity for

them to show off all the amenities of the park to their target audience “Corporate Event Planners.” The CompanyImage, Inc. was asked to develop a “Traffic builder” to get the participants to attend 5 different events sponsoredby Universal Studios Florida. The client also wanted to have a measurable way to track the success of the plan.The corporate package was called Universal Studios Escape Islands of Adventure Traffic Builder.

Since the park was still being completed when we got this project, we needed to create our ideas off of theclient provided park drawings. The new park was divided into 5 different themed areas:

Jurassic Park…Marvel SuperHero Island…The Lost Continent…Seuss Landing…And Toon Lagoon.

A game seemed like the perfect answer and 500 key Event Planners were targeted to play. Upon their arrival at thehotel, they found a package in their room containing a custom crate designed to look rustic and to hold treasure…

Inside nestled in excelsior was a miniature replica of the lighthouse that greets each visitor at the entranceto the real Islands of Adventure. An envelope was also inside the crate with instructions on how to play the game.A custom lanyard with a holder for the game pieces was provided. It was loaded with five identical acrylic keys.If a player attended each of the five events there were opportunities to exchange one a blue Toon Lagoon key forsomeone else’s yellow Jurassic park key and so forth. The objective was to have one each of all 5 keys. The keyswere then brought to the last event and the player was entered in the drawing for a $25,000 cash prize. Ofcourse, the game also created a great icebreaker for networking. When a player had acquired all 5 keys, the keysalso fit into the keyholes around the lighthouse to complete a limited edition item.

We created the custom box while we worked with Don Harley and Cory Wood at Designer Selections on thelighthouse and the acrylic keys. At one point we even had the lighthouse light up when all the keys were placedcorrectly around the base.

Islands of Adventure Opening Day CommemorativeFor the Opening Day ceremonies, a special medallion was designed and minted by Medalcraft Mint and a

matching keychain was also produced. VIPs were given these commemoratives in a gift box with the Islands ofAdventure logo and a romance card.

Entertainment Gifts with PurchaseThese gift-with-purchase characters were created for different retailers. Columbia Tri- Star was so pleased

with the quality and our attention to detail on a life size Stuart Little (4” tall) beanie of their beloved character thatthey reordered twice. We also created a watch with Stuart floating in bubbles to resemble the Stuart in the wash-ing machine scene from the movie, which was also used for the retailers overseas. In addition, we created aStuart Little activity book.

The Quest for Camelot Two Headed Dragon was used in store displays. Two very detailed characters werecreated for The Nuttiest Nutcracker and in every instance our clients found that this attention to detail helped toboost retail store sales of these videos.



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BR0905_Section03 9/1/05 1:59 AM


LIKE OLD FRIENDS, these lines are ofgreat value to have at your side. Thisreoccurring arsenal of words is a centerpoint in almost all of my campaigns.

In Direct Mail:

1. “GIFT CERTIFICATE ENCLOSED” How many times have I said this? Whew.

My very favorite line for getting my clients’direct mail packages opened. Reasons?

• Gift certificates are inexpensive to print, at1/3rd or 1/4 of a sheet of paper - or less.

• May be printed on the same sheet as the letter,catalog or the order form - for extra savings inprinting costs.

• Ship flat, and adds very little weight to your mailingpackage.

• They’re much more upscale than coupons.• Gift certificates have a high-perceived value.• Cheap to redeem - in fact, have no cost at all until redemption.•May be targeted to specific merchandise or offers - good for over-stock or high margin items.

• Naturally easy to track.

BY JEFFREY DOBKIN

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:10 PM


Any arguments?

2. “FREE OFFER INSIDE…” This works almost as well. When a gift certificate

just won’t suffice in a business-to-business mailing, thisis usually my next choice. And more often than not, theother writing on the envelope is:

3. “OPEN IMMEDIATELY!” There’s a saying around here in Direct Mailville that

states you must tell the recipient exactly what you wanthim to do for the best chance of having him do exactlywhat you want.

4. “JUST CALL AND GET…” How many times have I said this phrase? Hummm,

nope, can’t count that high. I mix it in with one of my otherkey phrases:

5. “CALL US TOLL FREE…” In a copywriting assignment for an envelope printer,

I asked readers to call 16 times in a 2-page letter. 16times in one letter! So don’t feel bad about asking cus-tomers to call three or four times on the same page. If

you’d like to see how I weaved this into the letter copywithout being too obnoxious, just drop me a note and I’llsend you the letter. Yes, the letter definitely made hisphone ring. You bet.

6. “DEAR COLLEAGUE” It’s one of my favorite salutations. So much better than

‘Dear reader,’ which is always my last choice. And who’sto say your reader isn’t a colleague in some fashion.

7. “…AND FRIEND.” I like to offer this phrase after the salutation, to make

it friendlier and more personal. And it does. “Dear fellowPharmacist and Friend”. “Dear Pet Lover and Friend”.“Dear Chevy Owner and Friend”. About 50% of my let-ters have these two words after the opening salutation.In any type of local mailing, my favorite opening is “DearNeighbor and Friend”. Sounds kinda’ nice, n’est pas?Readers usually think so, too.

8. “THANK YOU.” You know, you can never say ‘thank you’ enough to

your customers. Never. Almost every letter I send hasthe word thanks in it at one point. Another way Iexpress this is:

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:51 PM


9. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND YOUR TRUST.” If you don’t thank them, how are your customers to

know you care, or appreciate their business? Chancesare they won’t. That means if they have the opportu-nity to go elsewhere, they will. I ran monthly advertis-ing with a magazine for 6 years, they never thankedme once in a letter. When the ad became marginal, Idropped out, and never felt one bit of remorse, despitetheir pleas. Contrast this to the form we shipped ourproduct with: our shipping form measured 41/2” x71/2”, and I thanked our customer 6 times on this form.You can call me on this one too, just drop a note andask for our old Merion Station Mail Order shippingform. Thanks.

10. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND REFERRAL.” One of the best ways to get business is through refer-

rals. One of the best ways to get more referrals is tosend a thank you letter to the person who made a refer-ral. No, a phone call is not the same. When you hangup after a phone conversation you cease to exist. A let-ter, well, that can hang around for a while - to be appre-ciated over time. I once wrote a nice ‘thank you’ letter toa retailer who installed my car radio. They framed itand hung it on their wall - for about a year.

Face it, when someone calls to say thanks, you say,“That’s nice, they called.” End of story. But when youreceive a letter of thanks... well, that’s big time.Someone actually took the time to sit down and write aletter of thanks. Wow, monumental effort. They knowyou appreciate it. To our firm, a referral means someonegave our name with the silent pledge of their trust. It isan honor we don’t take lightly.

11. “THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITYAND THE PRIVILEGE TO BE OF SERVICE.”

Business rule number one: it is a privilege to serveyour customer. Let them know this is how you feel, andcustomers will remain loyal to you for years. Not onlydo I say this frequently, I believe it. So does everyperson in our firm - it is part of our company creed.

12. “NEW PRODUCT OFFERS BENEFIT!” This formula is unusual in that it works almost every-

where. In direct mail, it’s a safe bet for envelope teasercopy, especially when coupled with the three great linesat the top of this article. New product offers benefit alsois one of the best, time-tested formula for the headlineof ad, or a press release headline.

It’s also my very favorite formula for the “Jeff Dobkin

Benefits-First Press Release.” I’ve found if you use thisformula for the first line of your press release the bene-fits never, ever get cut out. Editors cut from the bottom,and sometimes from the middle, but the first sentence isalways left intact. Since benefits sell the product andincrease the response, it’s a hard-hitting direct market-ing technique to squeeze them in anywhere you can.They’ll look just great up at the top of your press release.

13 “FREE BOOKLET OFFERS HOW-TO INFORMATION.”

This headline attracts readers with a free offer, butalso limits the attraction to the specific market segmentyou are targeting to better qualify respondents. Thissaves you time, and money by not having to send litera-ture to a non-buying, poor-prospect market. On the upside: “Free booklet shows you how to pack glasswarefor moving!” produces good response, but only frompeople who are going to move. Very targeted market-ing. This type of headline produces tons of high quality,highly qualified leads.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:54 PM

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14. “OBJECTIVE:” Before writing any copy, including sales letters,

brochures, direct mail packages, catalogs, everything -first write “Objective:” in the upper right hand part of aclean sheet of paper. Then write the objective. I do thisat the start of every writing assignment. This remindsme why I am writing, and what the writing must accom-plish. Unless I’m drafting a catalog or hard-hitting packagethat sells products directly, my objective is usually tomake the phone ring; so my copy is written to sell thephone call. Objective: to make the customer pick up thephone and call.

Writing the objective first, clarifies my writing. Theobjective is usually a surprise to most of my business-to-business clients who think I am trying to sell their prod-ucts. Heck, it’s tough to sell from a sheet of paper. I gen-erally leave the selling to them. I just make the phonering - with warmed-up prospects.

In PR: 15. “ARE YOU THE PERSON I SHOULD SEND

THIS PRESS RELEASE TO?” I don’t think I’ve ever met an editor who isn’t incred-

ibly sick and tired of press agents or product developerswho call up and say, “Did you get my press release?”Sure they got your press release. They receive all thepress releases - which one was yours? This is usuallyfollowed by a flurry of activity: the editor having to fum-ble through the stacks of papers, half-written stories,half-finished coffee, and occasionally toward the dead-line of the month — half-eaten pizzas — sitting on theirdesk to find your release. I guarantee by the time theyfound it, your press release has one foot in the grave -er… wastebasket. Still in all, more likely than not, you’regoing to have to send another press release to makesure they have it on-hand and at the ready.

Yet it’s much more likely your press release will bepublished if you speak with an editor. So here’s theplan: Call the editor BEFORE sending him or her a pressrelease, and ask, “Are you the person I should send thispress release to?” You see, this sets up a ‘can you helpme’ relationship with the editor, and editors by theirnature - like schoolteachers - are a very helpful lot. Ifthey say yes, give them a short, one-minute pitch(they’re also a very busy lot) and then send your releaseto them. This will increase your chance of being pub-lished from 5% to 50%, maybe 70%, maybe 80%.

If the editor isn’t the right one, and says “Oh no,you’ve got to send that to Jeff Rogers, our chief editordown the hall.” You then pick up the phone and know-ing full well Rogers is the one, you call and say to him.“Are you the person I should send this release to…”This sets up a ‘can you help me’ relationship…

16. “NICE SPEAKING WITH YOU.” Even if it wasn’t, “Nice speaking with you, thank you

for receiving my call.” should be the first line of the let-ter you include with the press release that you send toan editor after you’ve spoken with him or her. (Yes, Ibelieve all press releases should be sent with a letter).Since most press releases are sent without phone calls,this subtly reminds the editor of your conversation, andthat the publishing of this particular release has greatimportance to you. Also remember not to say in yourletter, “Enclosed is our release…” they can see that.Instead, your letter focus should be on “Thank you somuch for your consideration to publish our release. Yourreaders will get this wonderful informational booklet,shipped promptly, filled with terrific ideas and tipson…”. Letters with press releases build your credibility.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 8:54 PM

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BR0105_Section03.qxl 12/17/04 3:35 PM Page 57


Still More Great Marketing Lines

17. “SEE PAGE...” In catalogs I always like to refer customers to other

pages. Whether it’s accessories, similar items, or juststuff that goes well with other stuff, the best thing a cus-tomer can do is thumb through the pages. The longer thecustomer stays in your book, the better the chance he’llorder something, or order something else.

18. “SEE ORDER FORM ON PAGE...” If the objective is to have customers order, it never

hurts to remind them. Pointing to the order for is a subtlereminder. A nice phrase is “It’s easy to order - see OrderForm on page...”

19. “WHAT’S NEW INSIDE…”In newsletters, catalogs, long copy packages, and

other longer publications I like to entice readers with abulleted list of fascinating places to go to inside. If wecan just spike a couple of high interest notes and get thereader inside, we’ve accomplished the cover objectiveand have a good start toward our goals of additional timein our package and increasing sales and brand loyalty.

20. “AND HOW DID YOU HEAR OF OUR COMPANY?”

Built into every advertising and marketing programshould be a tracking system. When your marketing ispurely through the mail it may be easy to track through apriority code number, response sent to a particular depart-ment, or simply a color-coded envelope. But some market-ing programs, and most retail operations need to figureout which ad their customer saw or which offer they areresponding to. I always recommend this simple method:leave a small pad of paper or stack of 3” x 5” index cardsnext to each phone, and when it rings - early in the con-versation - ask “And how did you hear of our company?”Take all the filled-out slips of paper and put them in aselected drawer. At the end of the month you’ll have agood idea which ad or program is working. At the end of6 months you’ll know for sure which ads were profitableand which mailing worked the best.

21. “IT’S A LITTLE OVER, IS THAT OK?” OK, so it isn’t used in direct mail. But I don’t know of

a deli counter man this side of New York who hasn’t usedthis up-selling line at least a thousand times a week.Pretty effective marketing, eh?

22. “SATISFACTION ALWAYS GUARANTEED” Heck, you’re going to get stuck with it anyhow if it

comes back, might as well be a nice guy and say thisright up front. It’ll increase your sales.

23. “KINDEST REGARDS,” I sign off of every letter this way. Kinda’ nice, don’t

you think?

Jeffrey Dobkin is a direct marketing copywriter, ahumorous and fun speaker, and an all around good guy.He can be reached at 610-642-1000, and his website -where you can read other articles of his - can be found atwww.dobkin.com. Call him for other articles, free samplesof his work or a free review of your current campaign.

Jeffrey Dobkin is also the author of two books,Uncommon Marketing Techniques, and How To MarketA Product For Under $500!, a direct marketing how-tomanual. Thanks. Satisfaction Always Guaranteed.

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BR1005_Section03 9/23/05 2:48 AM


TO THIS QUESTION there is one reverberatinganswer: “Duh!”

Nevertheless, this question is being bandieddaily in business media. Marketing and mediahave a youth bias … and we can partially thankboomers for industry indolence. When they wereyounger, boomers became Madison Avenue dar-lings by stimulating and popularizing youth mar-keting. And it remains true today: marketers areobsessive-compulsive about the 18-to-49 demoand its junior counterpart, 18-to-34. Boomershave become a neglected target audience,except by companies selling age-specific prod-ucts and services. (Please, no Viagra jokes.)

People 50+ haul in over half the discretionaryincome in the U.S. but receive less than 10% ofad messages. Now go figure: the nation’s youthmarket is shrinking; the mature market is bur-geoning. David B. Wolfe, distinguished leadauthor of Ageless Marketing, compiled data twoyears ago to reveal that people 40+ outnum-bered 18-to-39-year-olds by 123 million to 84million. By 2010, the imbalance will swell 138million to 87 million. In 2001, Advertising Agemagazine concluded that of $8 billion spent inTV’s upfront and scatter market, 55% targetedthe 18-to-49 group. The remainder went to chil-dren (under 18) and adults 25-to-54.

A youth-demo fixation appears to be drivenby the old brand-habit theory instead of quan-tifiable evidence. (This theory holds that brand

loyalty hardens with age, and you can’t teachold dogs new tricks.) However, a recent studyby AARP, the advocacy group for 50+ adults,discovered that the majority of people over 50aren’t overly brand loyal. Brand devotion variesmore by category than age.

OF DEMOS AND PSYCHOSTo wrestle fully with the niggling question

about boomer economic value, we need a spoon-ful of demography and a pinch of sociology.

The baby boom generation is composed ofAmericans born between 1946 and 1964. Post-world War II parents procreated 76 million timesduring this 18-year span (call it pent-updemand), and immigration has expanded thecohort by six to eight million since the end of theboom. Those born between 1946 and 1955 arecalled leading-edge boomers; those born duringthe second half are referred to as late or trailing-edge boomers.

Most pundits agree that two sociologicallydistinct generations have been wrapped neatlyin this nineteen-year package. The leading-edgeboomers are different from their younger broth-ers and sisters in some fundamental ways.Members of the older group shared teenageencounters with the galvanizing experiences ofthe Vietnam War era and the “cultural revolu-tion,” including modern feminism, civil rights,and environmentalism. They came of age when

Boomers: Toward a Higher Marketing Consciousness

BY BRENT GREEN

The $750 Billion Question: Do boomers truly offer marketers a fertile business opportunity?

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:00 PM


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pugnacious social and cultural forces crashed in on theEisenhower era and President John Kennedy’s Camelot.Leading-edge boomers are most often associated withthe protest movements of the sixties, as well as over-pub-licized experimentation with “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.”

Late boomers entered college after the Vietnam Warended in January 1973, and most experienced a morepeaceful, less culturally chaotic time to start careers andbegin families, although the younger cohort has confront-ed greater degrees of career and economic competition.

Leading-edge boomers are receiving a lot of attentionright now because they are nearest to retirement, withbountiful implications for the housing, health, and hos-pitality industries, to name a few.

MARCHING ACROSS THE THRESHOLDAnother boomer turns 50 every eight seconds, that’s

some ten to twelve thousand per day or four million peryear. America is getting older every month, and we cancount on one-third of the U.S. population being over 50by 2010. What’s so fascinating about this? Well, in theentire history of the U.S. — and all of Western civiliza-tion, for that matter — there’s never been such a dra-matic march to maturity.

A century ago, most people didn’t reach retirementage … they died.

The average life expectancy at birth for someoneborn in 1900 was 47. By 2000, average life expectancy atbirth increased to 76.5 years. Perhaps the single great-est achievement of 20th century science was the addi-tion of 2 1/2 years to average life expectancy for everypassing decade. Now AARP: the Magazine, the world’slargest circulation magazine, heralds “60 as the new30.” Former youth icons cross the maturity thresholdmonthly, from Billy Crystal to Lauren Hutton.

Two-thirds of all those who have lived past 65 arealive today … presenting a sobering view of the future.Global pharmaceutical giants have 750 new drugs underdevelopment to target the aging process and expand ourmortal timeline even further. A culture once dominatedby youth values is transforming to the psychologicalagendas more characteristic of older adults. This popula-tion and cultural shift is so large and all-encompassingthat it is as difficult to notice the change in direction, asit would be to perceive the Queen Mary 2 turning whileyou’re on deck blithely dancing the night away.

As historian and social observer Theodore Roszakobserved, “The future belongs to maturity.”

BEYOND TRENDS; TOWARD TRANSFORMATIONS

Boomers have proven that they don’t just occupy lifestages - they transform them. Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D.,author of several books on the subject, including AgePower: How the 21st Century will be ruled by the NewOld, points out that boomer trends become social phe-nomena and cultural obsessions. Allow me to elaborate.• When a plethora of boomer children overwhelmed

mealtime during the fifties, a company called Gerberintroduced portioned and prepared foods for babiesand toddlers – such memorable delicacies as pulver-ized spinach in a jar.

• When the nascent medium of television enrapturedelementary school children with the Mickey MouseClub, mass marketers found the perfect medium topropel galactic fads such as Hula Hoops and SillyPutty.

• When boomer teenagers developed a taste for carry-out food and its conveniences, McDonald’s grew fromone humble California store to a national French-fryingjuggernaut.

• When GM became a metaphor for Big Brother duringthe antiauthoritarian sixties, Germany and Japan,America’s World War II archenemies, captured the U.S.automotive market with VW Beetles and Toyotas.

• When boomers decided to lose extra pounds from con-

BR1005_Section01 9/23/05 11:39 AM


suming so much fast food, jogging became a craze,and Nike became a Fortune 500 company.

One question boomer Dychtwald poses is worth fur-ther contemplation. Considering the paradigm-bustinghistory of the boomer generation, why would anyoneapply yesterday’s thinking about aging and retirementto tomorrow’s possibilities? It is ludicrous to expectmembers of such an outspoken, demonstrable genera-tion to accept their parents’ standards for retirementlife. Or, foresee them sauntering passively into a golfingsunset, estranged and disenfranchised.

Recall the battle cry many boomers enjoined duringVietnam: “Hell no, we won’t go!”

Today’s economic and social realities portend a differ-ent kind of retirement era, one driven by activism morethan resignation. We’re on the threshold of an entirelynew life stage, a third age.

SHOWING THE MONEY; TAKING THE MONEYConsider the economic clout held by boomers and

older generations. Today, 50+ American adults repre-sent 38% of the population, and that group will explodeto 47% by 2020. According to data collected by the U.S.Census and Federal Reserve, the 78 million Americanswho were 50 or older as of 2001 controlled $28 trillion, or67% of the country’s wealth. In 2000, households withsomeone in the 55-to-64 age group had a median networth of $112,048 — about fifteen times the $7,240reported for under-35 adults.

In answer to the question leading this article, adults50+ control more than $750 billion of all household dis-cretionary income; mature consumers outspendyounger adults by a factor of two to one. A huge gener-ation guarantees attractive and sizeable market seg-ments for all comers, whether business-to-consumer orbusiness-to-business. A generation accustomed toexperimentation and a surfeit of brand choices sinceinfancy obliterates the myth that brand loyalty hardenswith age. A generation warily observing their parentsage is also learning about the unattractive aspects ofmaturity, longevity, and retirement.

EXPECT RADICAL CHANGESAnother salient fact about the boomer generation is

the same conclusion marketers must grasp when target-ing any segment. Segmentation is still based on descrip-tive generalizations. The boomer generation is not ahomogeneous market. For example, it’s common to por-tray the typical boomer as someone who grew up in aprofessional, white collar, and economically healthy

family. However, according to U.S. Census data, approx-imately 57 million boomers, or roughly 70 percent of thegeneration, came from poor, working-class, or family-business backgrounds.

Nearly one-third of the generation is not prosperoustoday, or even marginally comfortable; 25 millionboomers are broke. This is gloomy news, but peoplewithout liquid assets still consume a superfluity of prod-ucts and services designed to address their economichandicaps.

When marketers understand this generation and itswants and needs, companies make money … lots of it.

What will open the collective boomer pocketbooks?A full answer to this sweeping question requires

more than an article, but here are some examples ofcohort-sensitive marketing approaches.

• Spiritual satisfaction – The quest for self-discovery and self-actualization are

fundamental mid-life issues. Boomers are increasinglyseeking paths toward self-expression, while advancingagendas focused on balance, core values, and psycho-logical self-reliance. People who arrive at this stage ofdevelopment become more concerned about relevanceand legacies, less concerned about acquisition for pure-ly material satisfaction.

Spiritual concerns in a material world have, at theirroots, a collective desire for community, abundant health,brightening horizons, and life satisfaction. There is anunderlying search for holistic solutions — those modalitiesthat interlace body, mind, and spirit. This searching cul-ture has generated a marketplace of new spiritualresources, including books, videotapes, audiotapes, week-end retreats, newsletters, Institutes, and digital networks.

Are you considering the value-proposition of yourproduct or service from a spiritual, self-actualizing per-spective? Expand your consciousness!

• Beyond stereotypes -You’ve probably seen a few boomer advertising

clichés: hippies and Earth mamas; wistful nostalgiaabout the sixties, ad infinitum; and SUV-driving, cell-phone-yakking yuppies who appear inane and egoistic.Or consider:• A global electronics manufacturer launched an expen-

sive TV campaign featuring an apparently narcissisticand irresponsible boomer orbiting the globe in theInternational Space Station. The underlying message,wherein the protagonist proposes to disinherit his chil-

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dren in the name of self-gratification, is asubtle putdown, veiled in cinematic beautyand boomer nostalgia.

• A recent marketing campaign by a multina-tional pharmaceutical company demon-strates another typical error. The TV spotrivets attention with its classic rock musicbed by Queen. But as boomers gyrate tothe nostalgic beat while celebrating theirerectile-dysfunction medication, theyappear overweight and disheveled.

These ads are the products of the mosthigh profile, respected advertising agenciesin the world. But, boomers are growingweary of this kind of positioning. No gener-ation deserves to be dismissed as “self-absorbed” or some other sweeping invec-tive. A generation by definition is too large,too complex, and composed of too manyunique individuals.

Opportunity lies in creating advertising that compli-ments rather than criticizes — messages that elevaterather than denunciate.

• Experiential marketing -When boomers were young, marketers sold them tai-

lored products — tangible goods such as bell-bottomjeans. Companies then expanded products with servic-es such as the increasing conveniences offered by fast-service restaurants. According to Joe Pine and JimGilmore, authors of The Experience Economy, thenewest source of value creation is experiences: promo-tions, events, and shopping environments designed toengage boomers in a personal and profound way.

We have seen this phenomenon in Denver with theproliferation of cutting-edge theme restaurants such asTed’s Montana Grill and the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.

We need not search far in Denver for an exemplar expe-rience marketer. Recreational Equipment Incorporated, orREI, has created a Flagship Store nonpareil in LowerDowntown that brings together outdoor equipment andan interactive shopping environment — a perfect place toplay with potential purchases.

The key to marketing with experiences is to positionbrands as a reflection of unique psychological encoun-ters. Experiences create memories, rich with sensationsand personal engagement. Boomers are experienceseekers, especially today in mid-life.

• Freedom valuesAging is often associated with the values of comfort,

predictability, and routine, but healthy boomers defythese generalizations. Many head in the opposite direc-tion and embrace unabashed experimentation as a pre-retirement lifestyle. Experimental behavior could manifestitself in a number of new ways. That’s why the adventure

travel trend is gaining momentum in theearly years of the new century. Tour offer-ings coming forward by NationalGeographic and other companies are notyour grandfather’s idea of travel. Newertravel adventures highlight explorationand self-discovery.

A recent article in TIME magazine,entitled Saddling Up, documented anemerging motorcycle-loving trendamong a mushrooming segment of theboomer population. In fact, the articleobserves: “Baby boomers are the fastestgrowing segment of America’s million-member motorcycling population; theirnumbers are increasing 10% a year.Nearly a third of Harley-Davidson ridersare now 50 or older.”

Freedom is the most romantic andcompelling lure of retirement, and its multifacetedmeaning will find expression during the next few yearsthrough new or revitalized products and services.

• Gathering and community -Boomers became accustomed to communal experi-

ences at an early age. It was common for many to coex-ist in groups of 40 to 60 or more within classrooms builtand designed for half as many. Boomers learned early inlife to get along with each other, even under the pres-sures of overcrowding and loss of anonymity. Anotherphenomenon most boomers will recall is disproportion-ate numbers at public events. This generation may nothave created the blockbuster movie, but it certainlyadded new dimension to this sought-after Hollywoodshowcase of cinematic success.

During adolescence, the stadium-sized rock concertsoon became the ultimate manifestation of groupengagement. Elvis Presley set the stage, and a legion ofboomer rock bands followed. Rock concerts featuringclassic rock artists still fill venues to capacity in spite ofinconveniences posed by large gatherings. As the gen-eration creates new settings for group engagement,such as huge RV cities in the middle of the Arizonadesert during winter, many will be pulled inexorably tocongregate and connect.

There are two facets to communal experience: thegathering of tribes at cultural and artistic events, and themore intimate gathering of close friends seeking valida-tion, safety, and harmony. Appealing to this sense of gen-erational community can become a powerful motivator formarketers selling lifestyle housing, recreational facilities,entertainment events, and educational conferences.

Cause related marketing -Since the mid-1970’s, many boomers have refocused

on careers, child rearing, and the increasing demands of

“When boomers

were young, mar-

keters sold them tai-

lored products —

tangible goods

such as

bell-bottom jeans.“

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economic competitiveness. However, Ibelieve important lessons from theirteen years about group engagementremain buried in the generation’s col-lective psyche; many retain a spirit ofsocial activism that took shape andfound passionate direction in the six-ties and seventies.

As retirement comes closer, manyare changing their focus from “successto significance,” where they hope to getback in touch with youthful idealism,and perhaps rekindle a belief thatsingle human beings can positivelychange the world. Participation inphilanthropic causes is destined tobecome more fashionable; it is timefor many to be constructive withgifts and giving.

Most companies are not philan-thropic as the core purposebecause they sell products andservices to make a profit. So howcan a company effectively takeadvantage of the predicted resur-gence in boomer civic engagement?The answer is marketing publicrelations or MPR. The opportunityis always available for a companyto embrace and support a worth-while non-profit cause and enlist itscustomers and stakeholders to par-ticipate in promotions that inte-grate advertising, sales promotion,and public relations.

As a corporate brand develop-ment strategy, MPR programs pow-erfully resonate with boomers.

During a recent visit to Denver,author David Wolfe wisely remind-ed me “the most effective market-ing is marketing that helps peopleprocess their lives.” Help boomersprocess their lives with marketingcommunications and targetedbrand strategies, and you won’tneed to ponder the $750 billionquestion any further.

You’ll just profit from its answer.

Brent Green is president of BrentGreen & Associates, Inc., a full-servicemarketing communications-consult-ing company founded in 1986 andbased in Denver. His firm has pro-

duced marketing programs for a diverserange of clients, including Rodale (Men’sHealth and Best Life magazines), BlueCross Blue Shield, Hewlett-Packard, andthe United States Olympic Committee.He is the author of Marketing to Leading-edge Baby Boomers and has receivedover fifty awards for his creative andcommercial accomplishments, includingthe Direct Marketing Association’sInternational Gold Echo Award. He cur-

rently helps with programming for theRocky Mountain Direct MarketingAssociation and is a member of theLeadership Council for the BusinessForum on Aging, American Society on Aging.

Brent can be reached at (303) 743-0140or [email protected]. Marketing toLeading-edge Baby Boomers is available atwww.amazon.com and www.paramount-books.com.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:02 PM

SUMMARY: When using websites, teenagers have a lower suc-

cess rate than adults and they’re also easily bored. Towork for teens, websites must be simple — but notchildish — and supply plenty of interactive features.

It’s almost cliché to say that teenagers live a wiredlifestyle, but they do. Teens in our study reportedusing the Internet for:

• School assignments • Hobbies or other special interests • Entertainment (including music and games) • News • Learning about health issues that they’re too

embarrassed to talk about • E-commerce And, even when they don’t make actual purchas-

es online, teens use websites to do product researchand to build gift wish lists for the credit-card carryingadults in their lives.

USER RESEARCHWe conducted a series of usability studies to deter-

mine how website designs can better cater toteenagers. We systematically tested twenty-threewebsites, asking teenagers to visit the sites, performgiven tasks, and think out loud. We also asked testparticipants to perform Web-wide tasks using any

website they wanted. This gave us data about a widerrange of sites, along with insight into how teensdecide which sites to use. Finally, we interviewed theparticipants about how and when they use the Weband asked them to show us their favorite sites.

In all, thirty-eight users between the ages of 13and 17 participated in the tests. Most sessions wereconducted in the U.S.; we also ran a few tests inAustralia to assess the international applicability ofthe findings. We found no major differences here: fac-tors that make websites easy or difficult for teens touse were the same in both countries, as were thedesign characteristics that appealed to teens.

The only big difference between the two nationsconfirmed a stereotype about Australians: they arenuts about sports. When asked to show us theirfavorite sites, almost every Australian teen nominateda team site from the Australian Football League. AnAustralian teen also praised Google for offering a fea-ture to search only Australian sites. Localizing web-sites and offering country-specific content and servic-es is good advice that applies across age groups.

Within the U.S., we conducted studies in a ruralColorado, and in three California locations, rangingfrom affluent suburbs to disadvantaged urbanareas. We tested a roughly equivalent number ofboys and girls.


BY DR. JAKOB NIELSEN

Usability of Websitesfor Teenagers

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FOCUS ON WEB USABILITYTeenagers are heavy users of a broad range of tech-

nology products, including music download servicesand MP3 players, chat and instant messaging, email,mobile phones and SMS texting, online diary services,and much more. Nonetheless, we focused our researchon teens’ use of websites for two reasons: • There are many existing reports about how teens use

computer-mediated communication, mobile devices, andother non-Web technologies. Such studies are not alwaysconducted using proper usability methodology, and theytend to rely too much on surveys of self-reported behaviorrather than direct observation of actual behavior. Still, thisarea has been well covered by other researchers.

• Non-website design is a highly restricted market:there are about three significant vendors of chat andIM software, ten big vendors of mobile phones, and ahandful of important music download services. Itdoesn’t make sense to publish a general report for sofew readers. In contrast, there are 60 million websitesin the world, and a big percentage of them might beinterested in how to better serve teenagers.

Web design for teens is a broad enough topic to war-rant its own, specialized study. We tested sites in thefollowing genres:

• School resources (BBC Schools, California StateUniversity, and SparkNotes)

• Health (Australian Drug Foundation, KidsHealth,National Institute on Drug Abuse)

• News and entertainment (BBC Teens, ChannelOne.com,MTV, and The Orange County Register)

• E-commerce (American Eagle Outfitters, Apple,Volcom)

• Corporate sites (McDonald’s, Pepsi-Cola, ThePrincipal Financial Group, and Procter & Gamble)

• Government (Australian Government main portal,California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, and theU.S. White House)

• Non-profits (Alzheimer’s Association, The Insite,Museum of Tolerance, National Wildlife Federation)

As this list shows, we tested both specialized sitesthat explicitly target teenagers and mainstream sites forwhich teens are part of a larger target audience.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TEENAGERSMany people think teens are techno wizards who

surf the Web with abandon. It’s also commonly assumedthat the best way to appeal to teens is to load up onheavy, glitzy, blinking graphics.

Our study refuted these stereotypes. Teenagers arenot in fact superior Web geniuses who can use anythinga site throws at them. We measured a success rate ofonly 55 percent for the teenage users in this study,which is substantially lower than the 66 percent successrate we found for adult users in our latest broad test ofa wide range of websites. (The success rate indicatesthe proportion of times users were able to complete arepresentative and perfectly feasible task on the targetsite. Thus, anything less than 100 percent represents adesign failure and lost business for the site.)

Teens’ poor performance is caused by three factors:insufficient reading skills, less sophisticated researchstrategies, and a dramatically lower patience level.

We did confirm that teens like cool-looking graphics andthat they pay more attention to a website’s visual appear-ance than adult users do. Still, the sites that our teen usersrated the highest for subjective satisfaction were siteswith a relatively modest, clean design. They typicallymarked down overly glitzy sites as too difficult to use.Teenagers like to do stuff on the Web, and dislike sitesthat are slow or that look fancy but behave clumsily.

Why are there so many misconceptions about teens?Two reasons. First, most people in charge of websitesare at the extreme high end of the brainpower/techno-enthusiasm curve. These people are highly educatedand very smart early adopters, and they spend a lot oftime online. Most of the teens they know share thesecharacteristics. Rarely do people in the top 5 percentspend any significant time with the 80 percent of thepopulation who constitute the mainstream audience.

Second, when you know several teenagers, the onesuper-user in the bunch is most likely to stand out inmemory and serve as the “typical teen” persona, eventhough he or she is actually the outlier. Teens who don’tvolunteer to fix your VCR when it’s blinking “12:00” arenot the ones you remember.

No Boring SitesTeens frequently complained about sites that they

found boring. Being boring is the kiss of death in termsof keeping teens on your site. That’s one stereotype ourstudy confirmed: teens have a short attention span andwant to be stimulated. That’s also why they leave sitesthat are difficult to figure out.

Teenagers don’t like to read a lot on the Web. They getenough of that at school. Also, the reading skills of manyteenagers are not what one might hope for, especiallyamong younger teens. Sites that were easy to scan orthat illustrated concepts visually were strongly pre-ferred to sites with dense text.

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One surprising finding in this study: teenagers don’tlike tiny font sizes any more than adults do. We’ve oftenwarned websites about using small text because of thenegative implications for senior citizens — and evenpeople in their late 40s whose eyesight has begun todecline. We have always assumed that tiny text is pre-dominant on the Web because most Web designers areyoung and still have perfect vision, so we didn’t expectto find issues with font sizes when testing even youngerusers. However, small type often caused problems orprovoked negative comments from the teen users in ourstudy. Even though most teens are sufficiently sharp-eyed, they move too quickly and are too easily distract-ed to attend to small text.

What’s good? The following interactive features allworked well because they let teens do things ratherthan simply sit and read: • Online quizzes • Forms for providing feedback or asking questions • Online voting • Games • Features for sharing pictures or stories • Message boards • Forums for offering and receiving advice • Features for creating a website or otherwise adding

content These interactive features allow teenagers to make

their mark on the Internet and express themselves invarious ways — some small, some big.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AGE GROUPSThe following table summarizes the main differences in

Web design approaches for young children, teenagers,and adults. (The findings about children are from our sep-arate tests with six to twelve year old users.)

Clearly, there are many differences between agegroups, and the highest usability level for teenagerscomes from having designs targeted specifically attheir needs and behaviors. Teens have different needsthan both adults and young children. This goes for

interaction design (as the table indicates) as well as formore obvious factors such as the choice of topics andcontent style.

Some websites in our study tried to serve both chil-dren and teens in a single area, usually titled somethinglike Kids. This is a grave mistake; the word “kid” is ateen repellent. Teenagers are fiercely proud of theirnewly won status and they don’t want overly childishcontent (one more reason to ease up on the heavy ani-mations and gory color schemes that actually work foryounger audiences). We recommend having separatesections for young children and teens, labeling themKids and Teens, respectively.

TEENAGE OPPORTUNITIESThe average participant in our study spent five to ten

hours per week on the Web. This in addition to the manyhours they spent with other technologies.

According to the Pew Internet and American LifeProject, 83 percent of U.S. teenagers are online. Otheradvanced countries show similar percentages. Websitesshould improve their design to better meet this hugeuser group’s actual needs and desires, rather than tar-get mistaken stereotypes. The opportunities are there.

LEARN MOREOur 128-page report with 60 usability guidelines for

designing websites for teenagers is available for download.

Dr. Nielsen founded the “discount usability engineer-ing” movement for fast and cheap improvements of userinterfaces and has invented several usability methods,including heuristic evaluation. He holds 78 United Statespatents, mainly on ways of making the Internet easier touse. In June 2000, Dr. Nielsen was inducted into theScandinavian Interactive Media Hall of Fame. The authorof a number of books including Designing Web Usability:The Practice of Simplicity, he also publishes the Alertboxcolumn at www.useit.com. For more information aboutthe Nielsen Norman Group visit www.nngroup.com.

Kids

Teens

Adults

Animationand

sound effects

Mine sweepingfor links Advertising Scrolling Reading

Key: Enjoyable, interesting, and appealing, or users can easily adjust to it.

Users might appreciate it to some extent, but overuse can be problematic.

Users dislike it, don’t do it, or find it difficult to operate.

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THIRD PARTY INVOLVEMENT in senior pur-chasing decision-making is by no means arecent phenomenon. But its occurrence con-tinues to grow as the senior customer baseboth expands in numbers and grows inlongevity. What is noteworthy today, howev-er, is the emerging realization of the impor-tance of this activity in marketing and busi-ness development.

Extended senior customer is a term used todescribe the relationship between the seniorcustomer and anyone else who may be involvedin the decision-making, purchase and access toproducts and services. This may be as subtle asa suggestion or as extensive as acting unilater-ally on behalf of the senior. There may be ablending of decision-maker, purchaser and user,and the marketing implications are concomi-tantly amplified.

Before we explore the marketing opportu-nities the extended senior customer repre-sents, let’s take a look at some of the principalthird parties that may make up the essentialrelationship.

THIRD PARTIES IN THE EXTENDEDSENIOR CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP:

• Family members Sons and daughters, and even grandchil-

dren, may be involved in assisting with or mak-ing purchasing decisions on behalf of a senior.This is more likely to be true for older seniorsand for larger purchasing decisions, such as fur-nishings, appliances and living accommoda-tions. The family members may tour apart-ments or senior residences, for example, notonly to help their senior family member, butalso to satisfy themselves that this is the “rightplace” for their mother, father or grandparents.Family members also may be involved in seniorpurchases due to the age or infirmity of the sen-ior relative. Depending on physical and mentalcondition, large and small purchases may comeunder scrutiny and assistance of the family.Unfortunately, there is sometimes a negativeside to family involvement in some senior pur-chasing decisions. There may be a concern thatmom or dad is spending the children’s potential

EMERGENCE OF THE EXTENDED SENIOR CUSTOMER

BY MICHAEL C. WALKER

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inheritance. Whatever the motivation, the involvementof family in a senior’s purchasing practices cannot be overlooked when marketing programs are being designed.

• Neighbors and friends While not having family ties, others may be con-

cerned with the welfare of a senior friend or neighbor.This can lead to their involvement in the selection ofparticular products and services. Very often these con-cerned parties know more about seniors and their needsthan do family, by virtue of their proximity to andinvolvement with a senior. Family may live some dis-tance away and have only occasional contact with par-ents, or grandparents, aunts and uncles. As in the casewith family, the efforts of friends and neighbors to sup-port seniors are typically well intended, but sometimesmay represent ulterior motives under the guise of a con-cerned party.

• Other caregiversWhen family is not available, or if a senior needs

more support, hired companions or even home healthaides may be involved. They provide the support a sen-ior may need to extend their independence. Caregiversmay be making purchasing decisions on behalf of thesenior, and even the family.

• ProfessionalsAlso providing various forms of support to seniors are

professionals such as doctors, lawyers, financial advi-sors, trust officers and sometimes clergy. Less personal-ly involved than family, perhaps, but none the less inter-ested in the senior’s welfare, these professionals oftenget to know and participate in purchasing decisions fortheir clients, patients and parishioners. In addition towhatever personal interest they may have in thesenior’s welfare, there is often financial interest, as well.They may, in fact, have more to gain from taking goodcare of their client or patient than some family members.Particular decisions and purchases by the senior cansometimes benefit the professional more than others.Whether their interest is benevolent, as well as selfserving, is an interesting question.

This list of third parties to the extended senior cus-tomer unit is by no means exhaustive, but rather pro-vides a representative selection of potential players.

MARKETING TO THE EXTENDED SENIOR CUSTOMER:

Once again, it is important to understand that not allseniors are part of an extended senior customer rela-tionship. To the contrary many, if not most, are not. Thephenomenon tends to surface most often as seniors entertheir 70’s, and typically experience has shown thatoccurrence accelerates to over 80% by their late 70’s.This is a natural progression as the likelihood of mentaland physical health issues increases significantly afterthe mid 70’s, but this only can be considered in a generalsense. Significant declines can be seen in some peoplein their 60’s, while in others not until their 80’s

Given the existence of the extended senior customerphenomenon, how can it best be put to use in the marketing of goods and services? Let’s look at this insegments: first, for advertising, promotion and publicity,and second for sales.

• Advertising, promotion and publicityGenerally speaking, promoting products, services or

programs directly to third party extended senior cus-tomer participants can be difficult and possibly lessthan cost effective. In certain situations where a selectmessage can be targeted to a specific audience, such asproviding a resource for clients of professional providers,marketing opportunities do exist. However, the morebeneficial approach to a larger audience might be in theform of a message to third parties within a more generaltheme to a targeted senior audience. For example, consideran advertisement, a brochure, press release or directmail piece promoting home improvement suggestionsfor seniors, allowing them to remain in their homeslonger rather than having to face a move. While theprincipal message is directed to the senior homeowner,there are subtle ways to bring family and advisors intothat message. A casual suggestion that the contractorwould welcome input from family members, if desired, indesign plan and selection. Or a suggestion that theprospective customer may want to talk to their bankeror financial planner on how home improvement may fitwithin the grand scheme of things.

By inviting other parties into the picture, the vendoris helping create an extended senior customer, meaningothers may be involved in decision-making aboutdesign, suppliers, materials, financing and a host ofother choices. The vendor must be aware of the risks

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:12 PM


and opportunities this situation may create. On the riskside, the vendor is taking a chance that these invitedparties may complicate, or worse, kill the deal. Whetherthey are not in agreement with an investment in homeimprovement or the timing or anything else is not somuch of an issue as is that of complicating the vendor’srelationship with the senior. However, the vendor whocan think beyond the immediate sale will realize thereare opportunities to be made out of a seemingly bad sit-uation. Handled discreetly and professionally, a wisevendor will realize that with new contacts among fami-ly and professional advisors he may have an opportuni-ty to reap future business contracts in addition to a lateror revised plan for his original senior customer. In fact, astrong case can be made that the risk/opportunity equa-tion is more favorable over the long term than a singlerelationship with the senior customer.

• SalesNow let’s look at the same vendor example in terms

of direct sales. The experienced salesperson will under-stand the risk vs. opportunity relationship where thereis more than one prospective customer involved in asales presentation. An understanding of group dynam-

ics will provide ample opportunity for the salesperson tomake the most of it by using the involved players to hisor her advantage. Well handled, the number of playersis not as important as moving the group to a consensus.Not that this is easy, but from the customer’s point ofview there is safety and confidence in numbers. No onehas to make a unilateral decision, as they succeed or failtogether. If the salesperson can convince one member ofthe group, it may be possible to use that person to helpconvince any others who may have doubts.

Regardless of the outcome, the salesperson broadensthe contact or prospecting base many fold, as well aspossibly preserving an opportunity for a later presenta-tion to the same extended senior customer.

Understanding the extended senior customer conceptis essential when dealing with significant decision-mak-ing for older seniors. Recognize that it is a fact of life, butrather than reluctantly dealing with it consider proactive-ly using it to your advantage. Skillful planning and execu-tion will reap considerable rewards.

Michael C. Walker retired from active management in2002, after serving as Chief Executive of Seniorsfirst(Presbyterian Homes and Services of Genesee Valley, Inc.)

for over 24 years. His award-winningClub 24 Senior Living at Home® pro-gram has been replicated across theUnited States. In addition to havingserved on numerous state and localboards of directors, he has lectured inmarketing for twelve years, eight ofthem at the State University of NewYork, College at Brockport. His publicspeaking engagements include recentappearances for the Federal ReserveBank of New York, and the Associationof Fundraising Professionals. He is arecipient of a number of awards includ-ing the Patriotic Service Award fromthe U.S. Treasury Department.

Mr. Walker is the author of severalmarketing books available through 1stBooks Library/Authorhouse. Thesebooks may be ordered through the pub-lisher at www.authorhouse.com,(800/839-8640). Mr. Walker may be con-tacted at www.marketingtoseniors.info.

NOTE: Portions of this article have been takenfrom MARKETING TO SENIORS, Second Edition, (c)Michael C. Walker, 2004

WHY MARKETING TO SENIORS MATTERS

The following graphs speak forcefully to theimportance of learning to market to both seniors andthe extended senior customer.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:20 PM


1. Make Them Feel Like Royalty……if you are looking for the ultimate sales motivator,appreciation award, or just want your next importantconference to be memorable, there is little that cancompare to architecturally stunning castles replete withsumptuous bedrooms, quiet surroundings and vaulted-ceiling meeting rooms as an alternative to the ordinary.Drawbridge Castle

2. For Special Recognition……make it a wood framed commemorative inscription with a photograph on museum quality double mat-ting or a handmade cherry finish wood box with 4 custom etched shot glasses, Matted Photo in Lid and Engraved Brass Plate. Either one will make the occasion memorable.Heritage Creations

3. A Clean Screen Means……a happy computer user. This logoed screen sweepgently removes dust from computer monitor screensand when not in use attaches to the monitor, keeping your logo at eye level every day.Evans Manufacturing

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2005ThingsWeLove

BR1005_Section02 9/22/05 9:27 PM


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with a easy to take along poncho that displaysyour logo and message.

Mad Dasher

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makes the perfect gift or recognition award forthe female executive.

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6. When It’s Time for Recognition……make it a watch they will wear proudly. Thisfine Swiss timepiece with sapphire crystal, lumi-

nous hands and numerals, and steel and titaniumstrap is sure to strike the right note every time.

Swiss Army

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BR1005_Section02 9/23/05 1:10 AM


brilliant ideas | From the Source

A Supplier's Marketing Tips & Ideas for Brilliant Results

Logo any of these superlative made in the USA key holders, available in several high

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• Anywhere keys are used

Access Security Systems are becoming a familiar sight and these

IDs are an ideal place for your logo. Suitable for any business that

wears identification badges or uses security access systems.

Whichever state-of-art access control technology is employed, this

unit can certainly be utilized.

The “Twist-free” end attachment prevents the badge from spinning,

and keeps the badge in a front facing position. The closing mecha-

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the possibility of the card easily being detached, which results in

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This Month’s Ideas Courtesy of

BR1005_Section02 9/23/05 1:07 AM


The next time you need to put together a brand

awareness program or promote new sales incentives

for your company, don’t try to do it all yourself.

Call on the expertise of a promotional consultant.

Just like using an architect to draw up plans

for your new office building, a promotional

consultant has the experience to help you build

successful safety programs, create brand aware-

ness, generate new customers, introduce new

products, award employees, ensure customer

referrals, get the most from tradeshow exhibits,

and thank customers and vendors with a busi-

ness gift program.

Here’s what you can expect from a promotional

consultant:

1. Development of a program to fit your audi-

ence, budget and goals, and achieve your

desired results.

2. Access to vast product resources that give you

a much greater choice in products and prices.

3. Product suggestions in tune with the

trends—including what’s hot at retail. And

you can get samples!

4. Personalized service—with your interests in

mind. You won’t get this from an unknown

internet company.

5. Experienced advice on how to imprint the

product—some kinds of imprinting techniques

don’t work on some kinds of products. A quali-

fied professional knows the best printing

process for the product you’ve chosen.

6. Money savings and a total price up-front.

Many times the price you see on the internet

doesn’t cover set-up, imprint, duplication,

shipping, etc., which result in unexpected,

unbudgeted charges.

7. Help with your distribution plan to get the

product to your recipients—within budget.

8. Service above and beyond your expectations.

Promotional consultants are often part of a

creative team and can add unparalleled value

to your marketing meetings.

To find a promotional consultant, go to

www.businessbuilders.com and use the search

tool to locate PPAI members in your area.

EIGHT WAYS A PROMOTIONAL CONSULTANTMAKES YOU A BETTER MARKETER

Presented By:

BR1005-WHATWORKS 9/22/05 9:54 PM


CHALLENGE:Coal mining is a job often overlooked, rememberedmainly as a fading memory of times past. But coalmining is a very real job that carries many dangers—even with today’s technology. With hazards such asfalling coal, poisonous gases and sudden explosions,coal miners must work hard to maintain safe workenvironments.

Catenary Coal Company, a subsidiary of Arch Coal, the nation’s second largest coal producer, recognizedthe need for safety. So it set a goal to reduce lost-timeaccidents in a one-year period to zero and inspireemployees to keep safe work habits top-of-mind.

SOLUTION:Along with promotional consultant ShannonWesterman of Artistic Promotions in Dunbar, WestVirginia, Catenary Coal Company President PeterLawson designed a safety program with a footballtheme. Since every football team has a mascot, thecompany created a character, Archie, named afterparent company Arch Coal.

“Our employees relate to Archie and enjoy the safetyawareness atmosphere he has helped create,” saysLawson. “By using promotional products and signage,

Archie has truly become Catenary Coal Company’s‘safety shadow.’”

The one-year program enticed employees to be carefulon the job by rewarding points for performing safely.Each quarter, employees could redeem their pointsfor products such as jackets and footballs, or theycould cash out their points. Running totals were displayed on a scoreboard for all to see.

Although more points earned meant more cool products to take home, everyone—from the MVP tothe rookie—had a shot at winning the grand prize of attending the Super Bowl, including tickets andtravel expenses. A company-wide lottery was held to award one lucky employee the chance to see theannual face-off.

RESULT:The program ended successfully with no lost-timeaccidents for the period the program was conducted.But Lawson didn’t want it to end at the one-yearmark. “Our goal was to have no lost-time accidentsin a fiscal year,” he says. “Our expectations wereexceeded when we achieved one million man hourswithout a lost-time accident three months later.”

Some promotional products, a little friendly competi-tion and a football theme helped Catenary Coal scorethis incredible feat for the coal mining industry.

FACT: A study measuringexpenditures for employ-ee motivation revealedthat American businessesspend $23 billion annuallyon merchandise and travelfor motivational purposes.

INDUSTRY: Mining—Catenary Coal Company

Find a promotional consultant at www.buildapromotion.com



CHALLENGE:Dairy Mart wanted to develop a program whereby its500 store managers could reduce inventory lossesand maintain control over products, lottery tickets,cash, money orders and gasoline. The conveniencestore wanted to establish a year-long program withthe company auditors visiting the stores and com-pleting monthly audit checklists.

SOLUTION:Pat Yannayon, audit manager for Dairy Mart, andpromotional consultant Eric E. Ekstrand, MAS, ofMort C. McClennan Company in Chagrin Falls, Ohio,worked together to develop the “Auditor’s Checklist”program. First, the 500 store managers receivedposters introducing the program and explaining howto use the checklist, which consisted of 15 questionsabout the completion and accuracy of the audit control records. Each question was assigned pointvalues—from one to five per question—with a maximum score of 50 points.

“To encourage the completion of the audit controls,”says Ekstrand, “we determined that the auditorswould give the managers incentives each time theyscored 50 points.” For the first 50 points, the man-agers received an “Udderly Great” button, whichintroduced Dairy Mart’s new “Dee” image. For thenext five 50 points, “Dee” cow stickers were added tothe buttons.

The auditors then took the “completed” buttons fromthe managers, put their names on the back, placedthem in a drawing bin for the grand prize—a trip tothe Bahamas—and presented the managers with gold“Dee” lapel pins to recognize their auditing excellence.

“Then the process began all over again with the button, the five ‘Dee’ stickers and another chance for the grand prize,” explains Ekstrand.

RESULT:By using the Auditor’s Checklist questions, DairyMart saw a 220-percent increase in the store man-agers’ compliance with audit controls. “More storescorrectly completed all of the controls and reducedcompany losses with the average inventory dollarloss per store decreasing by 11.5 percent,” saysYannayon. “Our director of store operations hasdeclared this program such a success that we have decided to continue it for another year.”

FACT: Incentive-based dealer programs have been measured to be 83.1 percent effective.

INDUSTRY: Convenience Stores—Dairy Mart



CHALLENGE:When trying to win new accounts, a littleschmoozing goes a long way. Nicedinners, expensive wine and priceygifts are the usual traps used to cap-ture accounts. But Mingledorff’s, a dis-tributor of heating and air-conditioningequipment, wanted to do more than oneor two thoughtful gestures to winnew business. How would itacquire new accountsand increase salesby 15 percent?

SOLUTION:After compiling a list of 325 prospectivedealers not representing theMingledorff line, BudMingledorff, president, mailed aletter along with a promotionalproduct to prospects. Nothing fancyor frilly—just a little something to letthe prospects know Mingledorff’s was interested.

For the next 11 months, a new promotional itemarrived in prospects’ mailboxes. Items ranged fromsteel pocket knives to fishing lures. And along witheach month’s product came a carefully crafted letterfrom Mingledorff describing how the promotionalitem coincided with the company’s philosophies. The sensible monthly gifts became somethingprospects looked forward to and appreciated.

RESULT:The program’s underlying message was apparent inthe regular and punctual arrival of products everymonth, demonstrating Mingledorff’s reliability andcommitment to customer service.

“The mailings we sent each month to prospectivedealers were a success for us,” says Mingledorff. “Weare very pleased with the results.” He appreciates

the creativity of promotional consultant WayneLineberry of Norcorss, Georgia-based CorporateSpecialties, Inc., who helped build the campaign.

Overall, Mingledorff’s won 357 new accounts, representing a 25-percent increase in sales for the 11 months of the program.

INDUSTRY: Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning—Mingledorff’s, Inc.


FACT: In a survey, 52.1 percent of participantsreported having a more favorable impression of anadvertiser after receiving a promotional productfrom the company.



CHALLENGE:To reinforce its image as the most responsible andtrusted financial institution in the community,Harleysville Savings Bank in Pennsylvania wanted tohelp children of existing customers begin a savingsprogram. Marian Bickerstaff, senior vice president,envisioned a two-month program whereby 300 childrenwould open a Trusty’s Club account to learn theimportance of systematic saving at an early age and the effect time has on compounding money.

SOLUTION:With the guidance of promotional consultant Jay R.Bustard of J.R. Bustard Advertising in Gilbertsville,Pennsylvania, Bickerstaff decided to begin a “TeachChildren To Save” program. Prior to beginning theactual promotion, Bustard and Bickerstaff designedand produced the mascot, Trusty, a lovable, patrioticBassett Hound puppy dressed in red and blue. Thebank decorated its four branches with custom plushTrusty dogs and logo-imprinted balloons and distrib-uted information brochures at teller stations so customers were aware of the promotion.

“We wanted to make saving money fun for children,”says Bickerstaff. “After they opened accounts, theyearned Trusty Bucks for each dollar deposited.” Thechildren redeemed these bucks at a Trusty’s Club Storefor Trusty-logoed, children-popular products, such asTrusty puppies, balloons, stickers, pens, pencils, keyfobs, coin purses, sunglasses, yo-yo, foam paw mitts,pencil bags, stampers and rubber baseballs.

To increase awareness of the promotion, employeesdressed in Trusty costumes to meet and greet thechildren at the bank’s branches and during commu-nity events. To get even more children and parentsinvolved in the promotion, the bank filled a large,five-foot-tall acrylic doghouse with Trusty items andgold coins and sponsored a contest for people toguess the number of coins in the doghouse.

RESULT:This promotion generated a 33-percent greaterresponse than the stated objective—400 Trusty’sClub accounts were opened. Bickerstaff reports, “A secondary and unexpected result of this promo-

tion was the excitement it created among bank

tellers and platformpersonnel. They loved the

program—their enthusiasmwas contagious.”

INDUSTRY: Financial Harleysville Savings Bank

FACT: The top five industries using promotional products, in order of ranking, are: education, financial, healthcare, not-for-profit organizations and construction.



CHALLENGE:You wouldn’t board a plane if the pilotwere wearing ripped jeans and adirty t-shirt. You wouldn’t trustthe opinion of a doctor with anose ring and blue hair. Sowhy would you buy some-thing from a salespersonwho looks disheveled andsloppy? Appearances areimportant. AAL CapitalManagement Corporationwas faced with the chal-lenge of ensuring its salesforce of more than 1,700professionals maintained apolished appearance at all times.

SOLUTION:By incorporating the medium with the mes-sage, the company designed an oversized replica ofa Kiwi Shoe Polish tin to remind the salespeoplethat a “polished” appearance is the beginning of asuccessful business relationship. Inside the tins,the sales force found laser-engraved wood shoebrushes, Kiwi Shoe Polish, applicators and shinecloths. The tins were packed in custom corrugatedboxes with the question, “Professionalism: How doyou measure up?”

Timed to coincide with a sales seminar, the kits weresent to the sales force with cover letters introducingthe seminar’s objective and two training cassettes.“You can’t be inspired if your shoes look tired,” saysPaul Stadler, vice president of securities sales. “Theshoeshine kit was a special way to remind us eachday how important looking and acting professionalmeans to the people we serve.”

Stadler worked with promotional consultant DavidSchanke of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Strategies,Ltd. to develop the campaign, which stressed thatlooking professional isn’t something to gloss overand that everything counts when it comes to a pol-ished appearance—from the tip of your shoes to thetop of your head.

RESULT:The kits effectively conveyed the importance of pro-fessional appearance while making the formalities ofsales training fun and entertaining. The responsefrom the sales force audience was enthusiasm anddelight in the creative promotional tool.

INDUSTRY: Investment Services—AAL Capital Management Corporation


FACT: Overall, sales of promotional products have increased from $5.22 billionin 1992 to $17.31 billion in 2004.



FACT: A PPAI survey shows the inclusion of apromotional product in a mail promotion canincrease the response rate by 50 percent.

CHALLENGE:PeopleSoft, a company that offers a full range ofeBusiness solutions, was well-known for its HumanResources software, but as a supplier of Supply ChainManagement (SCM) technology, awareness was low.The company wanted to create awareness of itself asa player in the fast-growing category of e-businesssolutions and also specific interest in its SupplyChain In A Box product. To do this, the companyneeded to attract the attention of senior executivesand incite their immediate interest by delivering theproduct information in a format that would motivatethem to learn more.

SOLUTION:Promotional consultant Jeff Gordon of PromotionDesign Group in Simi Valley, California, says, “Weneeded a format that would stand out from thecrowd to meet the challenge. We had to get creative

mailing pieces past the gate keepers and intrigue the targeted 3,500 senior executives to find outwhat was inside.”

Gordon worked with PeopleSoft’s Marcom Manager,Paul Hesselroth, as well as with Laurie Beasley, president of Beasley Direct Marketing in Morgan Hill,California, to design a program to target currentPeopleSoft customers, who were manufacturers, distributors and retailers—customers who had purchased financial, CRM or HR products but may nothave been aware of the Supply Chain product line.

The product selected was an interactive CD-ROM,delivered in a three-dimensional miniature silversuitcase carrier. The CD-ROM demonstrated the capa-bilities offered by SCM solutions. The executives wereoffered an incentive for downloading the information—a well-known, timely book on eCommerce was sentupon request.

RESULT:Within the first three months of thecampaign, PeopleSoft received approx-imately a three-percent overallresponse, which exceeds the results of previous campaigns by 200 percent.Gordon says, “If PeopleSoft’s salesconversion rate stays with theindustry average of 20 percent andthe average sales price is $500,000,this program will achieve more than

$10 million in revenue—all for aprogram that cost about

$160,000 to design, produceand mail. This is an ROI ofroughly 1,000 to one.”

INDUSTRY: eCommerce Services—PeopleSoft



The impressions consumers have of a company

extend well beyond the products or services the

firm provides. Brand image is the mental picture

that reflects the way a brand is perceived,

including all the identifying elements, the product

or company personality, and the emotions and

associations evoked in the consumer’s mind.

In essence, perception is often reality. And,

what consumers say to others about your brand

is significantly more powerful than anything you

could say about it. So how can you positively

influence consumers about your brand? By using

promotional products.

In a PPAI study* designed to determine the

impact promotional products have on recipients

and its long-term effects, results indicate recipients

of promotional products have a significantly more

positive image of a company than consumers who

do not receive promotional products as reflected

by positive comments about the company. In

fact, the group receiving promotional products

had 26-percent more positive comments.

So if you want consumers to say positive things

about your company, talk to your promotions

consultant when making marketing and

advertising plans. Together, you can choose

decorated merchandise to complement your

marketing and advertising plans, resulting in

consumers who give compliments to your brand.

Now that’s the power of promotional products.

PROMOTIONAL PROOF

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL3125 Skyway Circle NorthIrving, TX 75038888-I-AM-PPAI (426-7724)www.ppa.org

PPAI—the promotional products industry’s only international not-for-profit trade association—offerseducation, mentoring, public relations, publications,technology, tradeshows and legislative support to itsnearly 6,500 global members companies.

INDUSTRY RESEARCH: The Power Of Promotional Products


*Promotional Products’ Impact On Brand/Company Image© 2005 Promotional Products Association International

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0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Perception Of The Business As Reflected By Positive Comments About The Company

Product No Product



IN ITS PUREST DEFINITION, a target market is describedas the majority of people your business attracts, either bycircumstance or design. As our industry evolves in termsof technology, education and specialization, many ownersare also learning to “position” their businesses to draw a specific type of customer. Target marketing is one ofcorporate America’s most effective business strategies.The idea is to increase sales by first identifying, and thentargeting smaller, yet more profitable customer groupswithin the total market.

TARGETING IS A VERB, NOT A NOUNA market segment is any identifiable group within a

market universe. For example, most national advertisersbreak down the consumer market by at least four seg-ments, including gender, age, income and family structure.These demographics allow them to “target” their salesmessages primarily to those most apt to buy their prod-ucts. If you were selling designer jeans to young adults,you may sponsor a TV show like “Friends.” Those sellingtoys and games will dominate Saturday morning cartoons.

In the aftermarket, a segment could be as simple asyour customer list and as complex as carving out aniche of classic car buffs. In either case, the goal is totake advantage of a specific sales opportunity. As arule, most aftermarket businesses accept the generalpopulation as their market; that is, anyone who owns avehicle is a prospect. However, some foresightedentrepreneurs recognize the profit potential of attract-ing only certain types of motorists and vehicles. Stillothers only use target marketing as an adjunct to theirnormal business.

Whatever the goal, successful target marketersknow the first step is to take a long, hard look at theirbusiness before seeking the perfect prospect. Whatservices or skills does your shop have (or can develop)that will meet the needs of a special group of motorists?Perhaps you recently hired a technician with special-ized training or your new frame rack is ideal for certaintypes of vehicles. Once you have a sense for who youare, positioning your business will come as natural aslinking kids and McDonald’s.

Proactive TargetMarketing:Rethinking Your Business Strategy

BY JOE JOLET

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:21 PM


BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:21 PM


Next, understand the type of business most prof-itable for you. This can be defined by average repairorder size, vehicle type or customer preferences. If youdon’t mind filling your bays with lower profit oilchanges, you may want to target quick lube customers.Or, if you would rather deal with the kind of customerwho cares more about quality than price, you may seekmore affluent prospects.

Finally, look for new, more specialized markets toconquer. The aftermarket is actually a composite ofmany different groups, each with unique needs andopportunities. Once you are confident that your busi-ness can indeed meet those needs profitably, the rest isa simple matter of going after the business.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!“I’m busier than ever, but my profits are stagnant!”

The only reason to target new markets is to realize a netgain of business profit. If your strategy is to attract own-ers of red Lamborghinis, in Worms, Neb., it may not beworth the effort.

On the other hand, the essence of creative marketingis filling viable market voids and creating new profit cen-ters. This is the part that requires a serious look at yourcorner of the aftermarket. Just what segments are avail-able to you and what will it take to gain profitable mar-ket share. To answer these questions, make a three-col-umn list with these headings: segment, why and cost.

Under the “segment” heading, list those marketprospects you do not currently target. These may includefleet accounts, customers by certain income levels, vehi-cle types, or just about any group of vehicle owners whomay require special sales or marketing attention.

Under the “why” column, list advantages of attract-ing more customers in each category. For example, if youidentified older, more maintenance-conscious seniors,the advantage may be a more even flow of business.

The “cost” qualifier is actually the net gain you willrealize if you spend more time, money and effort build-ing this market segment. Like any investment, market-ing should return more than its cost. Is the competitionso entrenched with this group that your promotionalcosts will be non-productive? Will you have to add new,expensive equipment to meet the needs of this groupand will those costs return?

Finally, be careful what you wish for. If you are not pre-pared to attract a new market, you may regret the

endeavor. For example, you may decide to specialize inhigh-end vehicles. But, as we all know, a Mercedes ownercan spot a 2mm fisheye from your waiting room chair.

OTHER TARGET MARKET CAUTIONSHere are some other cautions when defining new tar-

get markets: • Understand the big picture when defining a target

market. You may decide to position your business asone that caters to upper income levels. However, youmay later learn this group trades cars regularly whilestill under warranty.

• The market is people, not the vehicles they drive.Target your promotions to decision-makers. Here, col-lision repair businesses may also understand not allmarket segments are car owners. Some, who simplypay the invoices, also need to be targeted.

• Back your decision to target with facts. Make sure aviable market segment exists before committing tomajor changes or expenses.

• Don’t ignore your most valuable target market, yourcustomer list. A close study of this list will also play acritical role in defining new markets.

• Finally, consider the dangers of specializing in a verynarrow market niche. If more than 50 percent of newbusiness is generated from the majority of your pres-ent customer base, this may be a warning flag to openother new avenues of business.

MARKET SEGMENTSSome market segments to consider:

• Gender - It’s no secret that women have become notjust a major segment of the aftermarket, but a primaryforce. If you doubt this, watch how often auto manu-facturers target women in their television ads. At leastone vehicle manufacturer considers women to be 50percent of the new car market.

• Age - Why target a specific age group? Several goodreasons include: the ability to pay; a specific automo-bile class; older drivers tend to perform more preven-tive maintenance; and younger drivers are more apt toinstall accessories and aftermarket parts.

• Family composite (marital status, family size, age ofchildren, etc.) - Strategy-wise, larger families simplyhave more vehicles. Mom, dad and several teenagerseach need repair and service, and many familiesremain loyal to one repair or service business.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:21 PM

42

Collectible Stamp Award, MattedGive a gift or award that is unlike any other the

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lover to appreciate this unique gift, which will be

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PILLER INDUSTRIES

BR1005_Section03 9/23/05 1:34 PM


• Income level - This is the most obvious target market.Motorists in the higher income brackets drive certaintypes of vehicles, perform more “elective” servicesand repairs, and as a rule, don’t mind paying for qual-ity. On the other hand, this group is much more selec-tive and normally demands more exacting work. Middle and lower-middle class drivers, however, aremore likely to own vehicles out of warranty and needto keep the family car in road-worthy condition, longer.

• Neighborhood (geographic location) - Historically, loca-tion has been the first measure of walk-in businesssuccess. Today, however, our mobile society hasevolved to the point where location is not as importantas price, quality and reputation. The idea here is we nolonger need to restrict our markets to within a one- ortwo-mile radius of the business. When the averagedeductible is nearing $500 and even a tune-up runswell into three digits, consumers will go the extra mileto find true value.

• Insurance adjusters and agents - Marketing profession-als call this group a major influence to the buying deci-sion. Body shop owners refer to them as the peoplewho pay the bills. In either case, recognizing thisgroup as a target market is an absolute must for theaverage shop owner who invoices more than 30 per-cent volume to insurance companies. More important-ly, harmony between the repair facility and insurancecompany during the estimate goes a long way in clos-ing the sale.

• Vehicle type, make, model, year - A shop in Texasworks only on Volvos. A collision repair business inOhio accepts only vehicles less than four years old. InSouthern California, one shop specializes in Corvettes.The one guiding force in each case is the market’s via-bility - that is, enough vehicles owners of each descrip-tion were available to keep these businesses operat-ing profitably. One major advantage of this kind of spe-cializing is a totally focused market. This means oncethe business owner identifies the market, pleasing thecustomer becomes much less complicated and promo-tions are more cost effective.

• Other automotive businesses (source work, specialtyrepairs, etc.) - Twenty years ago, sending out the vehiclefor frame alignment was more the norm than the excep-tion. Today, it is very hard to make a serious profit bysimply hanging sheet metal. However, some specializedtasks such as performing interior work, transmission

service or mechanical repairs on collision repair ordersare still in demand.

• Per the size and extent of repairs or service - Most auto-motive service and repair management systems willhelp you to recognize the jobs that lose money. Forexample, occupying a bay for 30 minutes while per-forming a $19.95 oil change can’t compare to the sametime spent replacing an up-front component. But theopposite is also true.

Once you have identified the most profitable repairs,vehicle types and operating range, targeting that typeof business is just a matter of establishing a shop pro-motion plan.

With over 25 years of global marketing, communica-tions and franchise experience, Joseph D. Jolet has devel-oped creative and award-winning marketing programs inthe U.S., Europe and Asia, for such international compa-nies as Ford, Allstate and Hunter-Douglas. He holds sever-al degrees in marketing and business from Wayne St.University and the University of Nebraska. Mr. Jolet can becontacted at [email protected] telephone (402) 310-4239 orby mail, 7149 South 16th. St. Lincoln, NE 68512.

BR1005_Section01 9/22/05 9:22 PM


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Free Product Information. October 2005 Issue.For free product information from these suppliers, complete and mail this page to: BrilliantResults Magazine 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown, PA 17036.Or fax to (717) 566-5431.

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ET E R N A L RE C O G N I T I O N

BR1005_Section03 9/23/05 1:35 PM


November 01 – 02 Basics of Promotion MarketingUSA WEEKEND, 535 Madison Avenue, New York, NYInformation at: www.pmalink.org or Call 212.420.1100

November 01 – 03 Folio Show conference & ExpoHilton, New York, NYInformation at: www.folioshow.com or Call 866.966.6650 x 1129

November 01 – 03 The 50th CPI ExpositionJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.chemshow.com or Call 203.221.9232

November 05 – 07 Professionals in Human Resources Assoc., Annual ConferenceLong Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, Long Beach, CAInformation at: www.pihra.org or Call 800.734.5410

November 07 – 09 AD:TECH New YorkNew York Hilton and Towers, New York, NYInformation at: www.ad-tech.com or Call 415-464-8514

November 12 – 15 International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant ShowJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.ihmrs.com or Call 914-421-3206

November 13 – 17 COMDEX Las VegasLas Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NVInformation at: www.comdex.com or Call 415-905-2300

November 14 – 17 Eastern Analytical Symposium & ExpositionGarden State Convention & Exhibit Center, Somerset, NJInformation at: www.eas.org or Call 610.485.4633

November 15 Smart Sampling – Improving Your Sampling PromotionPromotional Marketing Association Audio Web SeminarInformation at: www.pmalink.org or Call 212.420.1100

November 16 HRMAC – HR Mgmt Assn of Chicago – 2005 SummitDonald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, ILInformation at: www.hrmac.org/events/ or Call 312.981.6790

November 16 – 17 Advanced Promotion MarketingClub Quarter/Elephant & Castle, 111 W. Adams St., Chicago, ILInformation at: www.pmalink.org or Call 212.420.1100

November 19 – 21 Golden Triangle ShowGreensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NCInformation at: www.gtshows.com or Call 770-410-9771

Nove

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2005CalendarN

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BR1005_Section02 9/22/05 9:28 PM


December 1 – 2 2nd Annual Promotion Law ConferenceHyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.pmalink.org or Call 212.420.1100

December 4 – 7 Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise ShowMyrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, SCInformation at: www.urban-expo.com/Content/389.htm or Call800.318.2238

December 5 – 8 Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo – Chicago 2005Chicago Hilton & Towers Chicago, Chicago, ILInformation at: http://www.jupiterevents.com/sew/fall05/ or Call 203-662-2857

December 6 – 8 Infosecurity Conference & ExibitionJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.infosecurityevent.com or Call 203-840-5393

December 7 – 9 Consumer Directed Health Care Conference & ExpoOmni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DCInformation at: www.cdhcc.com or Call (804) 266-7422 ext. 7408

December 7 – 8 StoreXpoJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: http://www.storexpo.info/index.php or Call 800.421.1321

December 12 – 14 National Center for Database Marketing WinterWalt Disney World Dolphin, Lake Buena VistaInformation at: www.ncdmwinter.com or Call 800.927.5007

TM


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* To have your show listed in our Calendar please send your information to Brilliant Results magazine. *

Dec

ember

Dec

ember

BR1005_Section02 9/22/05 9:28 PM


GEIGER BROS. IS A FAMILY COM-PANY where values and relationshipsmatter. The nation’s largest familyowned and managed promotionalproducts company, their history andheritage spans 4 Geiger generationsand 3 centuries.

Founded in 1878, when brothersAndrew and Jacob took over theirfather’s two-room print shop in Newark, New Jersey. Astaff of 4 — the brothers, a printer, and a bookkeeper —produced a small line that included advertising calen-dars, fans, and greeting cards. The second generationbrothers, Frank, Charles, and George entered the compa-ny in the early 1900s. They added date books and diariesto their expanding line.

The third generation began when Frank’s two sons,Ray and Frank, joined the business in the 1930s. Frankled the firm into the distribution of advertising specialtyproducts made by other companies. Meanwhile, Rayacquired the renowned Farmers’ Almanac™ becomingits 6th editor and tireless promoter for 60 consecutiveyears! To meet the needs of a growing company, Rayand Frank moved the company to Lewiston, Maine in1955. Since then, the Geiger facility has been expandedfour times to its current 140,000 square foot size.

Today, two of Ray’s sons manage the company. Geneis CEO and President and Peter is Executive VicePresident and editor of the Farmers’ Almanac. Undertheir guidance, the company has experienced unprece-dented growth over the last decade and has earnednumerous business and civic honors. Currently, it isleading the industry’s push toward e-commerce.

Some of their more than 50,000 customers have reliedon Geiger Bros. for 25 and even 50 years. This loyalty isinspired by a simple philosophy, “When you need us,we’ll be here for you to help you connect — directly andpersonally — with your customers, prospects, andemployees, delivering value with an integrity that for usnever went out of style.” Using promotional products asthe medium, Geiger Bros. works with its customers tocommunicate messages powerfully; to build and man-age brands; to promote services; and, to recognize andmotivate people.

Geiger Bros. has expanded and diversified again andagain over its 125 years in business. Andrew and Jacobwould scarcely recognize what they started, but the

firm has managed to stay true totheir original values. For that rea-son and many others, BrilliantResults takes particular pleasurein bringing our readers GeneGeiger’s Last Word comments onour industry.

BR: How and when did youbecome involved with the promotional marketing sector?

GG: Our Company, like most in our industry, is a fam-ily business. Going back 4 generations, Geigers haveowned and managed this company. Ours is just a bitlarger than most.

My brother, Peter, and I started packing boxes in the“sample room” at age 13, and each summer as teenagerswe worked in our factory, doing such things as drillingholes in calendars and “rounding” diary corners. There isnothing like seeing the business from the ground up—and being seen by other employees that way.

BR: What is the single most important service/benefitthat working with a distributor provides an organization?

GG: Our role is to help our clients to communicatetheir message—their “brand promise”—clearly and costeffectively using our medium. This means selecting theright products (i.e. most message appropriate for thebudget) from the most reliable suppliers and makingsure they reach the target audience on time.

Few clients appreciate the complex and ever chang-ing issues of sourcing and delivering the best itemfrom among 5000 or more suppliers and 750,000 possi-ble choices. More than that, we will make sure therecipient of an item will “get the message” and feelgood about the giver.

We have one client, an insurance company, whose pri-mary logo is, by their admission, very “masculine.” Theperson overseeing that brand has done a lot of thingswith a “strapline” and other subordinate elements tosoften the hard image and leave people with a warmerfeeling about the company. When using promotionalitems, we only propose items that have a soft, roundedfeel—never anything with sharp edges or metallic.

We are best when we are both capable and trusted tobe part of the brand communication team. Together wemake choices that, in a nuanced way, effectively clarifyand amplify that message.

TheLast Word

BR1005_Section02 9/22/05 9:29 PM


BR: In your opinion, what should our readers look for when selecting a distributorto work with on their various campaigns?

GG: The choice involves the firm and thatfirm’s representative, the client’s advocateand counselor.

The distributor must have a track recordof reliability. Not all firms are created equal.There are so many twists and turns to getproducts made and delivered. Further, soon-er or later something will go wrong. The company musthave the culture and skills to get the job done right andon time, not matter what, and to fix things when, soon-er or later, they go wrong.

That firm’s representative must be able to listen andunderstand what the client is seeking to do. Beyondthat, he or she must have a basic sense of how a client’sindustry and business work. Product selection needs tobe the last thing after goals and strategies are deter-mined. Sure we work to earn a profit on our work, butattitudinally, the client’s needs come first.

BR: Your organization has a number of affiliates acrossthe country. Are there specific criteria you use to evaluatea company before placing it under the Geiger umbrella?

GG: There are a lot of ways to be financially success-ful in business. We start with an emphasis on values.We want to be associated with “people” people, thosewho possess high integrity, caring, and the other attrib-utes we have codified in our 9-point “Geiger Way.”

This is a family business, one that embraces allstakeholders—owners, associates, sales partners, andcustomers. We want to work to be uplifting and fun, atleast most of the time. That works when we are all onthe same cultural page.

BR: What benefit does a national distributor networkoffer to end users of promotional merchandise?

GG: There are many small firms that do great work,but as a larger firm we simply have greater resourcesand specialized expertise that smaller firms cannot pos-sess internally. Those resources mean more training andsupport for our sales partners. They also mean a greaterbreadth of services for our clients. Fulfillment servicesand international sourcing are two examples.

Our relationships with key suppliers are superb. We arefair to work with, even as we are important to most. Whatthey will do for our clients on our behalf is second to none.

BR: How does Geiger select suppliers andproducts for its promotional activity?

GG: We believe we have the most compre-hensive rating system of any firm in ourindustry. All of our first and second tier suppliers are measured against a dozen or socriteria, each weighted by their relativeimportance. Some of the criteria are objective(e.g. claims ratio), and some are subjective(e.g. service). All of our sales management,

support staff, and sales representatives rate the subjec-tive elements. The result is a very accurate “report card”of how we see each firm—relative to past performanceand relative to category competitors.

More than rating just rating suppliers, we feed thatinformation back to each firm and discuss what they can todo improve in service to us. One supplier told me our feed-back is the best he has ever received from any distributor.

The “best of best” are honored at an annual reception.Those whose scores fall below a certain line are replacedby others who do excel. Our system does not allow us to play favorites, but we do favor those who serve us (i.e. clients) best.

BR: What is your personal favorite promotional product or campaign and why?

GG: It has been quite some timesince we put in place a “Way ToGo!” program that encouraged

Geiger associates to recognize the great work of peers,sort of like “I caught you in the act of doing somethingwonderful.” The associate fills out a simple form thatdetails what element(s) of the Geiger Way the workexemplifies. We use a variety of inexpensive promotionalproducts to create a group ruckus in the office and toexpress our appreciation from one person to another.

It may seem trite but a colorful foil balloon held down bya “GQ” (Geiger Quality) token (redeemable for products atthe Geiger merchandise store) tells everyone within viewthat one of theirs has done something exceptional. It’s notabout the product used; product is merely in the support-ing cast. It’s about how the product is used to helpcommunicate a message, heartfelt and one-to-one.

Too often we focus on the negative. With “Way ToGo!” it’s all about finding reasons to praise a person’swork in front of peers and making it a celebration of ourcollective values, at the same time. After 12 years it is acore part of our lexicon and our culture.

TheLast Word

Gene Geiger

CEO and President

BR1005_Section02 9/23/05 1:01 AM

1. In what year was John F. Kennedy assassinated? a. 1962b. 1963c. 1964d. 1965

2. What are the names of the four ghosts that chased Pac-Man?a. Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clydeb. Dummy, Yummy, Mummy, Moec. Huey, Dewey, Louie, Donaldd. Lucky Ducky Yucky Stinky

3. What color is the bottom stripe of the American flag?a. Red b. White c. Blue

4. What year did the Hindenburg disaster take place?a. 1929 b. 1937 c. 1931 d. 1941

5. Who was the only US President not elected to office?a. Lyndon Johnsonb. Gerald Ford c. John Tyler d. Harry Truman

6. What Harvard professor urged students to turn on, tune inand drop out?a. Dr. Benjamin Spockb. Dr. Brothersc. Dr. Ruthd. Dr. Timothy Leary

7. What was the single longest playing single number one hitby the Beatles?a. Nowhere Manb. Long and Winding Roadc. Hey Juded. Revolution

8. What woman started the Montgomery bus boycott?a. Margaret Sangerb. Jane Fondac. Rosa Parksd. Harriet Tubman

9. Without looking, do you remember what day of the week theWorld Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001?a. Thursdayb. Wednesdayc. Tuesdayd. Monday

10. Which band sings the song “Goldigger”?a. Jay-Z b. Kanye West c. Mariah Carey d. Fat Joe

BONUS: What does the phrase “Hit me up” mean?a. Go for a punch at my face b. Ask to borrow money c. Call me d. Charge my credit card

Your Age Is Showing Trivia

Quote~

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.Small people always do that, but the really great makeyou feel that you, too, can become great.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)American writer

It is not only what we do, but also what we do not dofor which we are accountable.

John Baptiste Molière (1622-1673)French playwright and actor

Answers: 1. - b, 2. - a, 3.- a, 4. - b, 5. - b, 6.- d, 7. - c, 8. - c, 9. - c, 10. - b, Bonus - c.


OffTheCuff

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