Culpeper Times • April 26-May 2, 2018
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Marketing Minute - Event Exhibiting Success - Part Two Happy Spring - Finally! If you read last month’s article you will recall we are talking about reaching potential customers via trade shows, festivals and events. There are many such opportunities in the region. They offer an unparalleled opportunity to market your business by making tangible connections in person. Your level of success however, depends on your ability to hold the attention of the available audience long enough to deliver your message. More over, a clearly defined goal and message will give you a greater return on your investment. Firstly, you will want to look the part. People naturally gravitate to the exciting, eye catching displays, and warm welcoming faces. Invest in a tablecloth (please no wrinkles!) and backdrop with your logo - this will easily identify you from across the room and give you the right air of professionalism. Dress your staff in company uniform and smiles. A good way to lure people from across the room can be a game or an activity. Giant games such as Spin to
MARKETING MINUTE
Sophie Hudson
Win, Plinko, Jenga and Cornhole offer you many benefits. They require a person to spend a little extra time at your display, giving you more chance to interact and talk about their needs and how your products and services may fulfill them. Plus, they will be having fun doing this, so less likely to feel a hard sell from you. Games that require an action to win a promotional item / prize will save you money in the long run as they have to be earned not grabbed. If a giant game is not for you, consider offering activities for children such as face painting, coloring or crafts. This will still give you one on one time with parents while creating a memory and reference point about your company. Offering a quality promotional item that is a good fit for both your business and the recipient will carry your message thousands of times, for months after the event, each time it is looked at or used. This should not be looked over. The right giveaway is a reference point for the recipient, something they will use to remember you by. This is especially true when it comes to Millennials. Ready for some statistics?! After receiving a promotional item, 87% of Millennials will look up the brand, and are 88% more likely to do business with that brand. Figures are not much less for us older folks.
Again, picking the right item should be specific to your company, your message and the recipient. This is a delicate balance. NEVER get the cheapest thing you can find, just to give something out. If you wouldn’t keep/use what you are giving away, why would someone else? Save your money and put it into supplies for a fun activity, a new display item or a single prize drawing. Look at the infographic, “Staying Power of Promotional Products.” This shows where people keep their promotional products. This tells you items that are kept on the recipient or in the kitchen are safe choices if you are at a loss for ideas. I would include the cellphone as items that are “on self.” Items such as phone stands, loaded with your business card are great for this. Kitchen utensils are excellent choices; I saw a promotional whisk the other day. I would LOVE to be given a promotional whisk! I could (and do) do this all day! In part 3 next month we will talk about data capture and follow up. If you have a question to put to Sophie on marketing your business, you can contact Sophie Hudson at: Kash Design, 629 Sperryville Pike, Suite 204, Culpeper, VA 22701 540.317.1473,mail@kashdesign.com, KashDesign.com
Understanding the progression of dementia AGEWISE
You may have heard the expression, as written by Shakespeare in Hamlet, “They say an old man is twice the child.” For just about everyone moving into the upper age brackets, we can understand this sentiment – older people often lose their teeth, their ability to walk, etc. But when dealing with dementia, a person is even more apt to “become a child” as the disease progresses. We had a very informative speaker at the Library on April 7, Judy Cleary of Branchlands in Charlottesville. Judy has worked with residents with memory impairment for many years and she shared some of her knowledge and experience with the audience. As part of her presentation, Judy reviewed what she called the “age of acquisition” in order to better understand the stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Carol Simpson
In the early stages of dementia, those affected are generally able to function relatively independently, as can a 12year old, but may have poor judgment and need help with certain tasks. As the person advances in their memory impairment, they “move backward” through the stages they gained as they went from infancy, through childhood, to adulthood. So, for example, in the middle stages of dementia, the person may lose the ability to select proper clothing (a skill they gained at about age 5). In the later stages, the ability to shower and toilet independently becomes lost (acquired at age 2-4). And in the last stage of dementia, the capacity to speak is lost (as it was attained at 1-2 years) and to do much beyond smile and hold up one’s head (learned at 1-4 months); at this stage, the person with dementia is completely dependent upon others to sustain life, as are infants. Understanding this disease progression helps us as caregivers to come to terms with which skills are retained and which are no longer available.
“The seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood.” Black Elk, 1863-1950. We are very pleased to invite you to our 3rd annual caregivers’ conference, to be held on Tuesday, June 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Germanna Community College’s Culpeper Campus. Internationally known dementia care expert, Teepa Snow, will conduct an allday workshop, "Helping Throughout the Journey of Dementia." She will use a variety of teaching methods to train the audience, both professional and family caregivers, in understanding behaviors, communication strategies, and changing the environment for better outcomes. The workshop is $30, which includes breakfast and lunch, as well as continuing education credits for those wanting them. Go to www. rrcsb.org/Teepa for more information and registration. Scholarships for unpaid family caregivers are available; call Aging Together for scholarship information at 540-829-6405.
Published every Thursday by Rappahannock Media LLC. ADDRESS: 206 S. Main St., Suite 301 Culpeper, Va. 22701 PHONE: 540.812.2282 FAX: 540.812.2117 HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. WEB: www.culpepertimes.com E-EDITION available online PRESIDENT: Dennis Brack, dennis@rappnews.com NEWS Editor: Jeff Say, jsay@culpepertimes.com ADVERTISING Publisher Group Sales Director: Thomas Spargur, tspargur@culpepertimes.com tom@piedmontpub.com Sales executive: Audra Dickey, audra@piedmontpub.com Creative Services Director: Jay Ford, jayford@piedmontpub.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING To place Classified and Help Wanted ads: Call 540.351.1664 or fax 540.349.8676, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday or email classified@fauquier.com SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe, contact Circulation Manager: Jan Clatterbuck 540.675.3338, jan@rappnews.com CONTRIBUTORS Marc and Meg Ast, Amy Wagner John Barker, Wally Bunker, Marshall Conner, Katherine Charapich, Fran Cecere, Felecia Chavez, Ian Chini, Ed Dunphy, Kristin Erlitz, Brad Hales, Clark "Bud" Hall, Sophie Hudson, Maggie Lawrence, Allen Martin, Jeffery Mitchell, Dr. Thomas Neviaser, Pam Owen, Blaine Pardoe, Donald Sherbeyn, Kim Kelly, Zann Nelson.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Write: Letters to the Editor 206 S. Main St., Suite 301 Culpeper, Va. 22701 Fax: 540.812.2117 Email: jsay@culpepertimes.com Letters must be signed by the writer. Messages sent via email must say “Letter to the Editor” to distinguish them from other messages not meant for publication. Include address and phone for verification (not to be published). Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Thursday publication.
