Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As popular myth would have it, everyone in the world has a twin.As Valerie D'Ambrosio would have it, that twin resides inNantucket, Massachusetts. This isn't a case of long-lostsiblings reuniting, however: D'Ambrosio's twins are part ofa clever promotion for her gifts, glassware and fine jewelrystore.
D'Ambrosio's Find Your Twin And Win contest takes placeevery December during the popular Nantucket Stroll weekend.Visitors to the six-block downtown area of this island resortcommunity are each given a numbered tag in either red or green.Their assignment? To find the wearer of that same number--in theother color. Once "twins" are matched up, they proceed toD'Ambrosio's The Cutting Edge to enter a grand-prizedrawing.
All this name-dropping, according to D'Ambrosio, 38, boostsher business' sales by 50 percent. Increased sales, however,aren't the only offspring of her innovation: Believe it or not,marital engagements have occurred as well. Guess this makesD'Ambrosio a matchmaker in more ways than one.
Back To School
Learning the tricks of the trade show.
There's no business like show business - of the tradevariety, that is. What better opportunity exists to meet and greetwould-be customers? Yet, as simple as it sounds, exhibiting at atrade show isn't a snap - and, no, we're not just talkingabout foot fatigue. To do it well, you've got to be somethingof a show-stopper yourself.
Which is where the Tradeshow U seminar comes in. Introduced lastyear, Tradeshow U provides a thorough grounding in the basics ofbooth management. "The objective is to educate exhibitors onhow best to approach shows," explains Pam Pietrok of GESexposition Services in Las Vegas, the trade show and eventmarketing firm responsible for Tradeshow U. "Our goal is tohelp exhibitors be as successful as they possibly can."
To that end, this $49, three-hour seminar covers everything fromattracting people to your booth and establishing goals to doingpublicity. To find out more, visit http://www.gesexpo.com - but only ifyou can be trusted with a trade secret.
To Infinity And Beyond
Oh, the places ads can go!
Talk about taking it to the limit. Recognizing there's nosuch thing as a blank surface - only surfaces in need ofadvertising makeovers - the practitioners of promotion are working24/7 to select an unusual medium for their message. Here's arundown of some of today's hot spots:
- Drawing lines in the sand: Believe it or not, PatrickDori's company, Beach 'N Billboard (http://www.beachnbillboard.com)in East Rutherford, New Jersey, can actually imprint a company logoonto the sand at the beach.
- They don't call them supermarkets for nothing: Grocery cartads may be passè, but ad-emblazoned checkout sticks are acheeky addition.
- Waterworks: Superior Design Construction (http://superiordesign.eugene.net/watergate.html)in Springfield, Oregon, can make marketers go with the flow withtheir water billboards. The 60-foot aerated waterfalls have a kioskat each end and feature full-motion, three-dimensional projectionsand animations.
- Fruit punch: Promotional stickers on fruit prove there's anappetite for ads ad nauseum.
- Your name in lights: Projection systems like the onesOrangevale, California's Derksen Graphic Projection Systemscreates can shine logos and graphics onto any surface, from floorsto walls. (Call 916-988-0390 for details.)
Contact Sources
Beach 'N Billboard, P.O. Box 128, Leonia, NJ07605
GES Exposition Services, (562) 802-7550.
