Houston MonthlyThe Houston 101 Days of Summer are history. Say goodbye to summer festivals, high gas, outdoor concerts, Galveston beach, and the Houston Astros. Say hello to Friday night football, Fiestas Patrias, Halloween, Houston Texans, and holiday shopping. The Fall marketing season starts now. Are you ready to rock and roll? Are you ready to hit the streets and market, promote, and advertise your business? If you don’t know … you’d better ask somebody. Don’t get caught sleeping and watching the armadillos run by. Get your action plans in order and start your Fall marketing now!
FALL MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
Here’s some Fall marketing dates to remember::
Sept 7th Grandparents Day
Sept 14th Houston Texans home opener
Sept 30th Rosh Hashanah
Oct 31st Halloween
Oct 6th Deadline to register to vote
Oct 9th Yom Kippur
Oct 16th National Boss Day
Oct 29th Yao “Mr. Olympics” Ming Rockets season opener
Nov 4th Election Day
Nov 11th Veterans Day
Nov 27th Thanksgiving Day Parade
Nov 28th Black Friday
Dec 13th Start of 12 Days of Christmas
BIG SIGN = BIG AWARENESS
Houston is still the billboard capital of the U.S. There are more billboards, signs, and poster boards in Houston than armadillos in Bejing China. Many companies use billboards and humongous signs as the most important element of their marketing plan. Big signs mean big awareness. And big awareness means big dollars as well. Billboards are not cheap. A prime outdoor billboard along the West Loop Galleria area can cost up to $15,000 or more per month. And smaller poster boards inside Bush Airport can cost you your left arm as well. But you get what you pay for. And you get big awareness.
BILLBOARDS GONE WILD
One count says that Houston has over 70,000 big and small boards in and around the metro area. Some boards have great, easy, and effective messages. Some are too cluttered and have messages that boggle your mind. Here’s what some may consider as today’s best …
Best One Word Billboard: TODAY / Gallery Furniture.
Flashiest sign: Colorado Club.
Highest billboard over Houston: Lone Star Plane / Southwest Airlines.
Most Unique Billboard: Astroworld skybridge.
Best use of Wallvertising: Alley Theater.
Best vehicle wrap:
KTRH Houston Sports.
HOUSTONvertising
Billboards are expensive for the marketing soul. They are rightfully expensive since they effectively attract lots of attention and increase Top Of Mind Awareness (TOMA). But there are other ways to increase TOMA here in Houston. Many are getting their messages seen by going back to the basics and using tried and true methods
like TREEvertising, WALLvertising, BODYvertising, SKYvertising, or CARvertising. Think about it. You can vertise your message anywhere, anytime, and anyplace.
OLYMPICS ENDORSEMENT
The biggest marketing spectacle just happened in Bejing China. And you blatantly or subliminally witness ed the marketing, endorsements, sponsorships, and advertising mix that corporations use to market themselves to the world. Well, you too, can get into the Olympic marketing spirit right here in Houston …
• Have the Lopez family from Sugarland appear at your store location and let them show their Olympic TaeKwanDo medals to your customers.
• Name a product or monthly special in celebration of Houston’s own Jonathon Horton and his silver medal in Gymnastic.
• Have Glen Eller of Katy demonstrate how he got his Gold Medal in Trap Shooting.
• Host a celebration for Silver Medalist Karen Clements from Laporte for her win in the 400 m hurdles.
These Olympic athletes are world champions. Just give them a call and honor them. I think you’ll see how easy it is to associate yourself with world champions here in Houston.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Galleria is the only metro mall that has full size billboard advertising inside the mall? … Confucious says limit billboard ads to seven words or less … The most efficient and easiest billboard is to put a big decal on your car. Think about it: This is the best billboard you can invest in … There’s only one company here in Houston that can fly your name in the sky - Nighthawk Advertising. Call Stewart Williams and ask for the JOEMAMA MARKETING first time advertiser special … TREEvertising is the act of posting your message on trees. This is the new “green” advertising method that helps you save money and make you energy efficient.
