| Blogging Magnets |
| the official blog of Magnets.com |
As we reflect back on the year, we’d like to thank each and every one of our valued customers for their trust, loyalty, and business. Indeed, striving day-in and day-out to be the best at what we do, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support and recognition of customers like you.
Cheers to a happy, healthful, and productive 2010.
To all of our customers who ordered a Save the Date Wedding magnet from us in 2009, congratulations and best wishes on a new, exciting chapter in your lives!
We’re happy to announce that Magnets.com has joined Facebook, a free and easy to use online social networking site with over 175 million members! While looking around, become a fan of Magnets.com so you can get access to:
We look forward to seeing you!
The fifth of our ‘How to Get the Most Out of Your Magnets’ case studies looks at longtime Magnets.com customer Screen Archives Entertainment, a Virginia based film score company.
Actual Screen Archives Entertainment customer testimony.
For several decades Screen Archives Entertainment (SAE) has been preserving, producing, and selling film score music for movies both large and small, from the Golden Age, to the Silver Age, to the present. In fact, they are the largest such company complete with a very loyal, highly engaged customer base.
Several years ago SAE began to include one of several limited run trading cards with all orders as a means of educating their customers about composers and their respective portfolio of work. Literally overnight the trading cards became a huge collector’s item, appearing and being discussed on industry message boards and other relevant Web sites, to the delight of SAE. “Our customer base really got into the cards, which helped with branding and customer education initiatives,” says SAE vice president William Waybourn. “Effective as they were, we decided a few years ago to switch to magnets which have a much longer shelf life and greater visibility than a trading card. As luck has it, the magnets severed to further increase customer buzz and overall excitement.”
Speaking of buzz, do a search on Ebay and you’re bound to see a community of SAE magnet sellers and buyers. And the same holds true with industry Web sites, customer blogs, and message boards such as Film Score Monthly where trading and discussion groups have been created around the magnets.
SAE plans to create many more limited run collector magnets. The release dates, however, are highly classified. “Rather than announce the release of new collector’s magnets, we let our customers ‘break the news’ which helps, not surprisingly, build additional excitement, discussion, and credibility,” says Mr. Waybourn. “After all, word of mouth advertising and buzz is what we’re about.”
Stay tuned for additional Magnets.com custom case studies!
We receive tons of inquiries from people buying magnets for the first time who aren’t quite sure where to begin. Being the magnet experts, we’re happy to lend a hand and offer tips spelling out just how easy the process is —ensuring the finished product meets all of the customers’ business objectives and expectations.
The first question we usually ask has to do with, not surprisingly, the budget set aside for magnets. Just as important, we’ll inquire whether the order is a rush (needed in less than 7 business days) and, if so, exactly when the magnets are needed.
Armed with this information we’ll seek to understand what the (more…)
Did you know neodymium magnets (a type of very strong rare earth magnets) repel sharks?
The fourth of our ‘How to Get the Most Out of Your Magnets’ case studies looks at Magnets.com customer Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, a Charlotte, NC based polished casual restaurant.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill introduced a taste and the feel of Colorado to the Carolinas when it first opened its doors in Charlotte in 2000. Creating a cozy, comfortable atmosphere with bold colors, exposed woods, and stone columns, the menu of grilled high quality meats, chicken, and pastas keeps their satisfied customers coming back for more.
Now 17 restaurants strong with a presence from Arizona to Virginia, Firebirds began to include a custom business card magnet with each take-out order to help evoke the brand where hungry customers are sure to look to assuage their hunger: the refrigerator. 20,000+ magnets later, their customers are coming back for more and more.
“A significant part of our business is take-out orders,” says Tyler Michael, marketing director for Firebirds. “While paper menus are often lost or thrown away, people are very likely to save magnets given their useful nature, which keeps our name front and center. And for customers who prefer to dine in, the magnets encourage them to call ahead to avoid any potential waits.”
Firebirds also puts the magnets to use for branding and overall development purposes. Attending several community and food related events throughout the year, the magnets are a tangible item that stands out from the crowd, becoming quite an asset. “Our magnets wear several hats helping with branding, name recognition, marketing, and business development,” concludes Ms. Michael. “We are very happy with their results.”
Stay tuned for additional Magnets.com custom case studies!
The third of our ‘How to Get the Most Out of Your Magnets’ case studies looks at longtime Magnets.com customer Birthday in a Box, a Gaithersburg, MD based supplier of high quality, imaginative, award-winning children’s party kits.
When your kids draw, paint, or glue together a junior Picasso work of art, 9.9 times out of 10 it’ll end up on the refrigerator, held by a magnet. Founded in 1996 with the goal of making it easy for parents to host personalized parties that are affordable, fun, and educational, Birthday in a Box took full advantage of this well known fact by including a branded business card size magnet with all customer orders. Seven years later they haven’t looked back.
“The magnets are a win-win situation for all parties involved,” says Nicole Beidler, marketing manager for Birthday in a Box. “The parents don’t have to search for nor buy a magnet, the kids are happy their art is on the fridge, and we get brand exposure, remaining on the minds of our customers.”
To grow the business, network, and find new partners, Birthday in a Box attends several strategic conferences and tradeshows throughout the year. While all attendees carry a stack of business cards, to stand out from the crowd the company hands out their business card magnets which, not surprisingly, are a great conversation starter and an asset for long-term name and brand recognition.
“Not only do the magnets help remind our customers that we’re a resource for their next party, they also play a key role in helping with business and partnership development efforts,” concludes Ms. Beidler.
Stay tuned for additional Magnets.com custom case studies!
