Sep
6
Go Hogs! – Appearance on 103.7 The Buzz every Friday for Football Season
Filed Under advertising business, my business, my products, personal | Leave a Comment
If you know me now, you’ll find this next confession hard to believe. Like so many kids in middle and high school, I felt like a fish out of water. Too thin, too flat, too tall, too loud, too dumb, too hyper and too self-conscious. My confidence was so low, that just knowing I had to take a speech class – in order to graduate high school – caused me to start fretting in the 10th grade. I was one of the 95 percent of people that would rather die than make a speech.
I guess you could say I was lucky that my ambition was stronger than my fear. I did all kinds of things in my early career that kept me awake at night. One such task was TV interviews. I may have been scared but I was not stupid, I knew the power of TV. So if any reporters wanted to come do a news story on flags, I was always available. Eventually, I became comfortable with TV, radio and newspaper interviews.
That’s why, when my marketing director Brian Shaddock, asked me if I would like to be on The Buzz radio show (103.7) with Pat Bradley and Justin Acri every Friday at 11:30 from now until December 16th, I agreed. Yes, it’s a sport show but I like sports. I do not have the male DNA to remember all the games and stats but I do watch a lot of sports and have a real girl’s point of view. But the real reason I’m on the Buzz, is to talk about all the Razorback items at Arkansas Flag and Banner.
Many retail stores have female purchasing agents, but not AFB. We have a male, Jeremy and he loves buying Razorback stuff!
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Mar
2
Thank-You Cards Work
Filed Under advertising business, etiquette | Leave a Comment
It doesn’t matter what kind of Thank-You card you send or receive, it is the thought that counts. Really! I appreciate a professional person taking the time write me a note because I know how busy they are. And a hand drawn note from a child has a special place in my heart because I know an adult is teaching them a life skill.
This year for Lent, I may send a Thank-You card to someone every day. It just takes a sec and there are lot of people I could thank and praise. And from a selfish point of view… give good Karma, get good Karma.
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Dec
17
I am totally into it…Social Networking
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I like the new trends in advertising. No more printing fliers, buying address lists, stuffing envelopes and mailing. Now you can keep your customers abreast of what’s new through electronic transfer of files…facebook, website, twitter and e-mails.
I like social networking for several reasons 1) it is less wasteful of our natural resources, 2) it is easier for the customer to receive info and throw out unwanted info, 3) it is faster to get info to customer, and 4) it is easier to create, so you can offer more promotions.
When I started Arkansas Flag and Banner, in the 70′s, sells were made by going door to door and shaking hands, the 80′s were telemarketing, the 90′s catalogs, and now technology (info on demand). This is my favorite so far.
To get special discounts join FlagandBanner.com’s Facebook page or sign up for our Flag Alerts and receive weekly e-blasts. I don’t know which method to recommend because they are both good, but different. The Facebook page is more personal, it is almost like seeing us in our underwear. And the e-blasts come right to your inbox, very effective time management.
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Sep
8
Dreamland Ballroom on Today’s THV news
Filed Under Dreamland Ballroom, advertising business, personal | Leave a Comment
So Sunday morning I am sitting at home sipping coffee, when the phone rings. It is Today’s THV reporter, Faith Abubey, she says, “Is this Kerry McCoy owner of Arkansas Flag and Banner?”
Faith had seen Dreamland Ballroom’s press release about our new nonprofit status and wanted to do a story on the place. Faith and I laughed about it must be a slow news day for her to be calling me at home and that I didn’t need a shower because it wasn’t smell-a-vision. So a time was set for us to meet in the Ballroom for the interview. She is a great women. She works alone with a camera and a mike. She records, writes, edits and narrates her own stories, all while wearing heels and makeup. What a girl!
The story aired Sunday at 5, 10 and 6 the next morning. I think she did a really good job but you be the judge…here it is…
Dreamland Ballroom on Today’s THV
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Jun
15
Flag Day Extended by Obama
Filed Under Flag News, advertising business | Leave a Comment
This year, instead of Flag Day being one day, President Obama has issued a proclamation making Flag Day a week long. That would make it Flag Week. Yippee!
Every year the current President issues proclamations for all the different holidays. It is crazy how many proclamations are made each day. If your interested check out www.whitehouse.gov
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Feb
20
Super Bowl and Our Flags
Filed Under Flag News, advertising business, my products | Leave a Comment
We see our flags everywhere, around town, when we travel, in the newspaper, on TV and in the movies. This past Super Bowl Sunday we contributed to the game, you wouldn’t even know you were seeing our product if we didn’t point it out. This is a fun little thing to know about us. We make and sell the little flags that go on top of almost all the goal posts you see on TV. The following article is about Sportsfield, to whom we sell our goal post flags to.
On The Bright Side: Delhi plays a part in Super Bowl
By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau
DELHI _ A group of 18 to 20 people from Sportsfield Specialties in Delhi headed for the Super Bowl are hoping that on Sunday, they’ll view not only the game, but the goal posts.
The goal posts at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., were custom-made at the Delhi plant, according to Wayne Oliver, Sportsfield Specialties Inc. president.
“We can’t wait to see our goal posts,” said Debbie Oliver, a company employee and Wayne’s wife. “It’s going to be great.” Wayne Oliver said the group would probably have gone to the Super Bowl, but “our goal posts are just another good reason to be there.”
When the ball sails across the end zone, said Michael P. Zambito, modular products business unit manager, he will be thinking to himself, “That is one nice set of goal posts.”
The posts are the Sportsfield Specialties’ AdjustRight model, which are the company’s largest sales volume product, Wayne Oliver said. There are hundreds of the posts installed across the country, he said, including in Delhi on the Delaware Academy and Delhi Central School football field.
“They are the most specified goals posts by far,” Oliver said. “We are the nation’s largest manufacturer of goal posts.”
He said that when the University of Phoenix Stadium was being designed, semi-custom goal posts that could be easily taken down were needed. This was to accommodate the movement of the natural grass field outside, where it could be watered and fertilized and receive natural sunlight.
He said to move the tray that the field grows in, the goal posts must be removed, replaced and uprights adjusted.
Zambito said that because the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals host many televised games, it was essential for them to have perpendicular/parallel uprights on the goal post with the ability to quickly and easily adjust them.
Sportsfield’s AdjustRight provided this capability by a simple adjustment of hardware, versus pulling out roll pins, drilling new holes, adjusting to level then inserting new pins, Zambito said.
Oliver said that when the posts are being constructed, “almost everyone in the factory works on them, so that makes this a neat small-town story that Delhi has a part in the Super Bowl.”
During the construction process, the post had to be painted the distinctive florescent National Football League yellow, Oliver said.
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Nov
15
Stop the Bleeding
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FlagandBanner has had the best year. Our sales are up, our stress is down and our bills are all paid. Man it feels good.
And then it happens. Just when you think you’re sittin’ pretty, Boom–everything changes. Thank goodness I am an eternal optimist. I like what one of my employees, Jason, just said, “Think Big.” And why not? But right now my big thoughts are about Big Losses.
This November’s sales are slower than I have seen them all year. And you’d think it is because of all the fears of recession we keep hearing. But, historically, the economic trends of the country haven’t applied to the flag business. In fact, sometimes they even go in the opposite direction. When people are feeling poorly, they rally around the Flag and the Cross because, emotionally, they can believe in State and Church to see them through. And when other businesses see a slump in sales, they tend to advertise more. And given that Banners are a relatively inexpensive way to advertise, we sell more banners. Maybe I need to buy a banner.
So what gives? I have revved up our advertising and still nothing. I don’t know the answer. What I do know is that come this Friday, if things don’t change, I am going to have to scrub up and get my hands dirty. After 33 years as chief surgeon at Arkansas Flag and Banner, I have learned that you have to stop the bleeding if you want to save the patient, and the faster you do it the better. Dang it. We still have ’til Friday. Maybe we’ll have a great day today(that is my eternal optimist speaking).
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Jan
9
I Really Dislike SPAM
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I try not to use the word hate but sometimes you just really want to, like when you are talking about SPAM.
There is a fine line a company walks in the information age. I sell a product that requires certain etiquette. People are always confused about the proper way to display a flag and they need advice. Like when President Ford died. “What do I do? What is the appropriate flag etiquette?” Some of my customers call and want reminders and updates on flag holidays via my newsletter and website. But some of my customers, no matter what, never want anything.
From a business point of view, I am lucky to have something that is of value. Something I can send to my existing customers that they like to receive and keep my business’ name in their minds.
Happy New Year!
Posted by kerry
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Feb
23
3M Security Glass Street sign
Filed Under advertising business | 1 Comment
That’s great advertising (yes, that’s real money in there).
But curiously, would someone have to break the glass to steal the money?
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