TODAY IS CRAYOLA CRAYON DAY

Binney & Smith, Inc. put Crayola Crayons on the market. On this day in 1903 the company began selling their Crayola Crayons to the public. They came up with the brand name Crayola when they put the French Words Craie (chalk) and ola (oily) together. The first Crayola crayons came in a box of 8 and sold for 5 cents. Today, Binney & Smith produce about 7 million crayons every day in 120 colors. The average American child uses 730 crayons by his 10th birthday. It’s no surprise that a study shows the smell of Crayola crayons is one of the twenty top scents recognized by adults in the U.S.
(source: http://www.crayola.com/)

CRAYON AS ART:
Herb Williams  is one of a handful of recognized artists that use crayons in their work. But he does it on a large scale (using hundreds of thousands of crayons in his original sculptures – similar to the one shown). In fact for his work which has appeared in as America, China, England, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Croatia, and Japan, Williams has received National and International recocgnition including The Joan Mitchell Foundation Museum Purchase Grant in 2004 and the Next Star Artist Award in 2008.  You can visit The Design Inspiration website to see more of Herb Williams Crayon Sculptures.

CRAYONS IN THE NEWS:
Crayons project gets high marks ~ In 2006, The National Honor Society/National Junior Honor Society recognized The Miramar High School’s chapter (in Florida) with an Outstanding Service Project award for its Crayons for Kids project. Students created Crayons for Kids as a way to give children from low-income families the items needed to begin school. “They spent 25 weeks collecting material,” said David Cordts, associate director for the national group. “They collected boxes of crayons, pencils, composition books and colored folders.” These items were then distributed to first-grade students from lower-income families, he continued. (Source: Sun-Sentinel)

So how could your company use crayons to promote your brand? Become an artist? Create an event such as an art contest?

If you’ve ever eaten out with your kids you know that many restaurants give crayons away to children accompanied by parents – not only a great way to keep the little tykes busy, it could be a good branding opportunity for a restaurant who purchased custom imprinted boxes the kids took home. Now there’s an idea!

Crayon Facts and Trivia:

Did you know that Americans buy 2.5 billion crayons a year? And that if you laid them all end to end — the crayons, not the buyers — they would encircle the Earth more than 4 1/2 times

The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Periwinkle Blue.

Crayola crayons come in 120 colors including 23 reds, 20 greens, 19 blues, 16 purples, 14 oranges, 11 browns, 8 yellows, 2 grays, 2 coppers, 2 blacks, 1 white, 1 gold and 1 silver.

The first box of Crayola crayons was sold in 1903 for a nickel and included the same colors available in the eight-count box today: red, blue, yellow, green, violet, orange, black and brown.

Kids, ages 2-8, spend an average of 28 minutes each day coloring. Combined, children in the U.S. spend 6.3 billion hours coloring each year.

Douglas Mehrens uses more crayons annually than anyone else in the world. The Phoenix-based artist goes through about 24,000 a year, many of them melted, to complete his works.

Binney & Smith, maker of Crayola products, produces nearly 3 billion crayons each year, an average of twelve million daily. That’s enough to circle the globe 6 times. It would take about 400 million crayons to go around the world.

(Source: http://www.crayola.com/)

To learn how Crayolas are made, visit the Crayola Factory

Other Events of Note on March 31st:

Happy Eiffel Tower Day! The Eiffel Tower opened on March 31 in 1889.

Cesar Chavez Day! Today is the birthday of Cesar Chavez (deceased), the famous Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist.

Today is also Dance Marathon Day. The first dance marathon in the United States was held in New York City in 1923. Wearing out six different partners, Alma Cummings danced non-stop for 27 hours, breaking the previous record set in Britain.

Be sure to check out   Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.

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Today is Some Like it Hot Day

On March 29, 1959 in the movie Some Like it Hot, featuring Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon premiered.

How can you capitalize on Some like it Hot Day?  Instead of a regular phone line, why not install a “hotline” maybe a second phone number and tell your best customers that the “hotline” is there direct connection to YOU. Or give them your personal cell phone and tell them that is their hotline to you.

You could also sponsor a Hotline for a non-profit organization and let the non-profit espouse your company’s virtues.

Joe Polish president of Piranha Marketing and creator of the Genius Network interviews well-known entrepreneurs and celebrities about their business success. He offers these interviews to his members when they join the Genius Network . As an added bonus he also gives members a “Hot Tip Sheet™, which highlights all of the major points of the conversation. It is like the footnotes for a book.”

If you are really adventurous and you know your customers would appreciate something different, you could send a bottle of hot sauce sporting your company’s customized label and the slogan: “We’re hot for your business” or “To XYZ Company, you are hot stuff!”

Create a “hot tips” for your company or organization and give the tips away on your website or in print.  You could use the online version as a lead generator.

Do you have a “hot tip” you’d like to share? Feel free to leave a comment with your tip or a link to an article with your tip(s).

Be sure to check out   Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.

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March 26th is Make up Your Own Holiday Day

And anyone can do it!

Creating your own holiday can an excellent way to get recognition, locally, nationally and even internationally! Over the years My staff and I (EdenFlorist.com) have made up a few holidaysof our own. In addition to Virtual Woman’s Days™ (3rd Week in March) we have created Get out of the Doghouse Day™ which is celebrated the 3rd Monday of July; International Women’s eCommerce Days,™ which is celebrated on the 3rd Week in September; and International Romance on a Budget Day™ which is celebrated on February 28th.

But our all time favorite and most successful holiday in terms of getting media and cutomer attention is Get out of the Doghouse Day™ . We advertise the holiday as the time for those who find themselves in the doghouse to find ways to make amends and minimize their stay with “old scruffy.”  International Women’s eCommerce Day™ is a day celebrating women doing business on the WEB. To read more visit: http://www.wecai.org/womensday.htm.  To read more about Romance on a Budget Day™ check out the Romance Calendar at: http://www.edenflorist.com/romancecalendar.asp

Want to get recognition for your “special holiday?” Check out Chases Calendar of Events and follow their instructions for submitting new holidays.

Other notable events on this date:

On this day in 1984 Part of Central Park was named Strawberry Fields in honor of the late John Lennon. In 1983 the only known typo on Time Magazine Cover was discovered.  It was the word Contol (should have been control). Time recalled all magazines!  In 1917 Loretta Walsh became the 1st female U.S. Naval Petty Officer and in 1868 the 1st U.S. professional women’s club called Sorosis was formed in New York City.

Be sure to check out   Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.

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March 22nd is International Goof-off Day

Now here’s a day that just about everybody can relax and enjoy. It’s a day to do anything and everything…..except what you’re supposed to do today.  A few years ago, Nintendo did a survey to identify the most popular activity for goofing off. They discovered that those surveyed chose playing video games ad their # 1 “goofing off activity. Gee, what a surprise! Looks like they were working when they should have been goofing off! 

Which reminds me, if you really want accurate results from surveys you host, I recommend a split test with your list and with an outside list. This way you can compare responses to see if the participants agree. Zoomerang, Survey Monkey and Question Pro are all great tools to create your surveys.

More Quirky Marketing Days: Today is also…
As Young As You Feel Day
International Day of Radiant Peace
World Day for Water

And on this date in 1933 US President Theodore Roosevelt signed the bill which legalized the sale of 3.2 percent beer and wine. Now that’s a quirky marketing idea!

Today March 21st is National Common Courtesy Day

 Common Courtesy… isn’t always so common. Why not start a common courtesy movement in your community to raise awareness of the damage caused by discourteous people and the success that comes to those who are always courteous.  Kindness and courtesy go along way and you will be remembered when other companies are closing their doors.

Today also begins Passion WEEK.

And in Greece they celebrate Dumb Week???

It’s also Memory Week and…

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Also on this day in history Prince Charles of England Marries Princess Diana

Spring is in the Air

March 20th is the First Day of Spring!

Spring (Mar 20-June 21) is the season of flowers, spring fever, outdoor celebrations and more. Spring is usually when flowers bloom, animals are hatched or mating begins.  The first day of spring is also known as the vernal equinox (Equinox means “equal night”) – the time of year that symbolizes the change to spring. With the center of the sun positioned right over the equator, the day and night are about equal in length around the world. (Equinox means “equal night”.) From now until September, there will be longer and warmer days in the Northern Hemisphere. Here’s Some Spring Trivia:
The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother’s Day in spring. The ancient Greeks celebrated Rhea, “Mother of the Gods,” with honey-cakes, beverages, and flowers at dawn–the earliest known Mother’s Day celebration

Four-leaf clovers are thought to bring good luck, but there’s no scientific evidence to support that claim.  Cut out some green four leaf clovers (or buy them at a specialty store such as Michaels crafts) and put “lucky sayings” on them. Include them in your business correspondence and statements.

The area along the California-Oregon Border, is known as the “Easter Lily Capital of the World” because it produces 95 percent of all bulbs grown in the world for the potted Easter lily market. They produce more than 11 million bulbs annually.  Send your best customers an Easter Lily or other spring flowering plant.

Did you know “Spring Fever” is a real physical condition which commonly occurs when a sudden warm spell follows a long cold period. When the temperature rises, the body has to get rid of heat; thus there’s a dilation or expansion of the blood vessels so that blood can be carried to the body surface where heat can be lost quickly. Some people experience an energetic feeling when this change happens due to the body’s reaction to the great amount of internal work going on.
Big companies recognize the benefits of marketing SPRING to their target audience with spring sales, spring promotions, longer hours and more. What could your business do to acknowledge the first day of Spring?  How about a Spring Fever sale?  Or a Company picnic inviting your customers to attend.

Or maybe create a spring cleaning tie-in with a local charity or school? Sponsor a car wash and get out there and work side-by-side with a local youth group, sports team or other non-profit organization. If you have not yet listed your business in Merchant Circle, Spring is the perfect time to do so. http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/sponsoredListing.html.  While you’re at it find out what’s happening in the world of Business when you check out Business Week online. http://www.businessweek.com/

Today is also:
 
Great American Meatout Day

Kiss Your Fiancé Day

National Agriculture Day

National Jump Out! Day

National Quilting Day

Proposal Day

Save the Florida Panther Day

Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day

On this day in history:

1922 ~  Hubort Work, The US Postmaster General ordered all homes to get mailboxes or relinquish delivery of mail.

1935 ~ The American radio show “Your Hit Parade” makes its debut on the airwaves becoming the starting point for  many of the most successful singers and artists in the music industry.

1999 ~ Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland and Brian Jones of Britain complete non-stop balloon circumnavigation around the world (19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes). They travelled travelling 45,755 kilometers landing in Egypt on March 20th, 1999.

Happy Saint Patty’s Day!

Time to serve up some Irish Coffee ~ Invented by the a chef at Foynes Airforce Base, Irish Coffee was intended to  warm up passengers during long waits between flights. On one occasion when a flight to America had to suddenly return to the base, the chef brewed a pot of coffee, sweetened it and added some Irish Whiskey. Little did he know it would spread from the Atlantic to America. 

Here’s the recipe: In a large mug or goblet, pour in one jigger of Irish whiskey. Add one spoonful (to taste) of sugar and fill the cup with strong black coffee (leave one inch of the brim to add sweetened whip cream). Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Drink through the cream. Yummy!  Buy some scratch-off lottery tickets (void where prohibited) and include with monthly statement that say’s “In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, try your luck with the enclosed ticket.  May you win big!“ We have done this with our customers and have had great response. We love it when someone calls to tell us she or he is a WINNER!

And if you like Limericks check these out (I wrote and posted them on my social networks):

Here’s one from RYZE Her Mastermind Network
There once was a girl named Rosie
She really liked all kinds of posies
She could sit for hours
Just picking flowers
And walk in the beds on her tip tosies

From Facebook

This lass loves to network on Facebook
A little time was really all it took
To share good times with friends
She never wants it to end
But its time to put on her apron and Cook!

and one I wrote today for family and friends …

It’s time for Saint Patty’s Day Cheer
Eating Corned Beef and Drinking Green Beer
Are you ready for a little fun?
If so, grab a shot of Jameson
Cause it’s sure to be 5 o’clock somewhere!

Have a fun day.. . and remember if you kiss a leprechaun he will follow you home, so beware!

March 15-21 is American Chocolate Week

Cadbury Chocolate Company had been successfully branding chocolate both for women and by using women in its ads to promote chocolate’s sensual side. One of Cadbury’s most popular TV spots featured a suave cat burglar scaling a building, fighting off danger, using 007- like gadgets etc, all in an effort to leave a box of Cadbury’s Milk Tray chocolates on a sleeping woman’s night table. The spots ended with the tagline, “And all because the lady loves Milk Tray.”

The Nestle Co. got into the act and started the “It’s not for girls” campaign, running spots of woman disguised as men in desperate attempts to buy a Yorkie. Of course the wily male candy clerk would trip them up, resulting in no sale. The Yorkie spots would end with a swarthy construction worker type manhandling a Yorkie bar. Sort of a Brit version of Toffeefay’s old “Toffeefay, it’s too good for kids” campaign.

What is your competition doing that you could “piggy back” on by giving the promotion a different twist?

Today is also:

Ides of March
True Confessions Day
Peeps Day
World Consumer Rights Day

March 14th is Pi Day!

No, not the kind you eat, silly! This is a numerical holiday.

In fact, it is a day that math geeks around the world enthusiastically celebrate. If you have ever watched an episode of the Big Bang Theory you know what I am talking about. Sheldon is such a math geek he probably has a parade even if its only around his living room. Ahhh…….. the wonders of math!  I have to say I am clueless about anything beyond multiplying 12 X 12…. I am more of a creative right brain person who would rather solve deep philosophical puzzles than a math problem!

However, March 14th (PI Day) is not about philosophy. Its about Math. 

In case you were wondering, Pi is the constant number used to calculate the area or circumference of a circle. It starts with 3.14159265 and continues to an infinite number of decimal places. Pi maniacs compete to see who can learn the longest string. According to Piday.com A Japanese mental health counselor holds the world record by reciting Pi to the 100,000th decimal place. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. Learn more about Pi. Crazy, inspiring stuff!

That also reminds me of the show NUMBERS. Even though I am not a math person, I have a great admiration for those who are.  I love how Charlie can solve all the FBI’s problems with Math. Looks like the FBI could use more Charlie’s on their team.

Did you know that each year MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) releases its admission decisions at 1:59pm on Pi Day?

In 2009, the artwork on their homepage showcased pi day greetings, and in 1994, as part of an elaborate prank, students put a campus police car number “Pi” on top of the “Great Dome”.

It looks like MIT has figured out how to capitalize on PI DAY with publicity stunts!

For all the trekkies reading this, I found this really cool video of Spoke and Captain Kirk discussing PI to solve a problem. Check it out:

And the NerdGoddess on Etsy has some really cool Pi Earrings for those of you who’d like to show off your inner mathmetician and also your support of Pi Day.

(Source: http://www.piday.org/stuff/)

Oh, and today is also Albert Einstein’s Birthday! How appropriate!

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Today March 13th is Jewelry Lovers Day

The world’s oldest known surviving jewelry was found in 1900 when archaeologists excavated the Egyptian tomb of Queen Zer (circa 5500 BC). On her wrist they found a Turquoise and gold bracelet.

Diamond Lil Fishing Lure

From toe rings to belly button rings, to nose rings and more, jewelry (or jewellery)has been made to adorn nearly everypart of the body. Jewelry is a fashion statement and has been made from precious metals, gemstones and other unusual medium.  Today the design and creativity are as valuable (if not more) as the content in which the jewely is made from. And lets not forget costume jewelry which, because it is innexpensive, can be purchased for every outfit owned.   

Jewellery has been used for a number of reasons:

Monetary exchange or currency and as a financial investment 
For its functionality as pins, buckles hair clips and more
As a sign of status and display of wealth
For protection such as amulets, stones and magical wards
And as pieces of ART to be displayed and admired

Here’s how one company capitalized on jewelry to create a publicity frenzy for their company and products:

In 2006,  MacDaddy’s http://www.macdaddysfishinglures.com/ the company that carries a collection of solid gold fishing lures and flies created a campaign to promote their brand of precious flies and lures showcasing the various ways they can be uses such as adornment (worn) art (on display) or to be used to catch fish. You don’t want to loose these fishing lures!

The company created a Million-Dollar Lure in their campaign too attract media attention and that of the buying public. Manufactured by high-end jeweler Uneek, the Million Dollar Lure was lure created from three pounds of 14k and 18k gold and platinum and encrusted with 100 carats of diamonds and rubies.

The compnay enlisted the help of the governor of Baha, California to actually use the lure at the world’s largest marlin fishing tournament, the 26th Annual Bisbee’s Black and Blue Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The event was covered by CNN, ESPN, Rocky Mountain Television, National Geographic, and Mexico’s Televisa network. ESPN also did a feature segment on the lure for the Wanna Go Fishing show.

Along with all that media attention, the lure was featured in Maxim, Forbes Life and other holiday gift guides. The company got millions of dollars in media coverage and substantial revenue increase. The company also donated thousands of dollars to charity as a result. You can see a picture of the lure here: http://www.macdaddysfishinglures.com/million_dollar_lure.shtml

In August 2006 my retail florist celebrated our 25th anniversary in business.  To show our appreciation to our customers we gave away flowers and hosted a drawing of sorts.  Everyone who called in and placed an order, placed an order online or came into the store and either placed an order or registered for the drawing (we did not require purchase to enter), was entered into a drawing for sterling silver jewelry. In additon to all the “specials” we had, we gave away sterling silver necklaces, earring sets and key chains to 25 lucky winners.  Typically August is a slower month for the floral industry as people are either getting ready to send their children back to school or finishing up their summer vacations. However, we saw a 17% increase in business that year from our Anniversary Campaign.

By the way, in my research I came across this FREE 99-page jewlery retailing eguide offered by World Jewelry Confederation at http://www.cibjo.org. There is information on evaluating and improving a retail jewelry business as well as handy forms and worksheets on everything from how to have a friend mystery shop your store to evaluating ad media. Even if you are not a jewelry retailer, it has valuable ideas and tips to help you in business.

More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!

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