THE BEDFORD BANNER
Bedford Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
APRIL/2012
Vol. 13   Issue 8
In This Issue
Could your brand be more lovable?
2011 Chamber Award Winners
What the Chamber did in March...
Hanscom Spotlight
Chamber Calendar
Could your brand be more lovable?

 

Maybe You Need a Marketing Mascot

By Geoffery Moore

Baseball, football, and basketball teams have them-a mascot that symbolizes the spirit of the team and rallies the fans. But have you thought about the fact that a mascot is also a good marketing tool?

For example, everyone knows the GEICO gecko. Years ago, GEICO had a problem. It was their name, Government Employees Insurance Company. Not only was it long, odd, and hard to remember, it also sounded institutional and impersonal.

So GEICO created a mascot-a gecko who represents the company. In one brilliant stroke they not only helped stick their name in consumer's minds, they also gave their brand a warm personality. And their campaign has been a huge success.

Now, virtually everyone who sees the gecko on a billboard knows instantly what is being advertised. And it's hard not to have a good feeling about that little gecko.

And there are other examples: The duck that squawks, "Aflac!" Smokey the Bear. Speedy Alka Seltzer. MacGruff the crime dog. Tony the tiger. And more.

So you might consider a marketing mascot for your company. It warms up your brand, makes you more visible, helps people remember you, and sets you apart.

A furniture company could have a lovable dog for a mascot-since a dog is associated with home and comfort. A heating company could go with a bear that stays warm all winter. A building company could use a "busy beaver." And so on.

You can put your mascot on your vehicles, yellow page ads, postcards, and business card. You can use the mascot to guide customers through your website.

Of course, it takes a little work and money to create the right mascot. But it can help to significantly increase awareness of your brand-while giving your brand a warm, distinctive personality.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sales & Marketing Jumpstarts is written by Geoffery Moore, president of Geoffery Moore Marketing and author of Think Like a Customer To Market Like a Genius.He can be contacted at 603-353-4700 or gmoore@YourBestMarketingMove.com.His website is www.YourBestMarketingMove.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to our 2011

Chamber Award Winners!

Invitations will be sent this week for the Chambers' Annual Dinner to be held April 25, 2012 at the Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel.

We will be honoring our 2011 award winners:

 

Business of The Year
IRobot

 

Business Person of the Year
Kevin Sullivan- DSA Printing
 

Diversity Award
Elm Brook Place
 

Outstanding Service to the Chamber
Dani De Paris


What the Chamber did in March?

Barb Davis leading joint WWA meeting with the Burlington Chamber
 
Mens Breakfast Club
Catch the Net-Great Road Gallery & Framing
Working Women Alliance
Comcast Multi-Chamber Networking 
Sign Bylaw Survey
Town Meeting
Do you want to Showcase your business at Hanscom?

Colonel Yike is hosting a Base Residents town hall meeting on 11 April 2012 (Minuteman Commons, Ballroom), 7:00 - 8:30 pm. If you are interested in

setting up something to promote what you have to offer, Contact Denise Beaudry to reserve your space.

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet & greet with our Hanscom neighbors. 

CHAMBER CONNECTIONS 

 

 

 Each month, Executive Director Maureen Sullivan tapes the Chamber Connections at the Bedford Tv Studio. Check out the links below of who she has interviewed and if you are  interested in being a guest, email her at bcoc@bedfordchamber.org

 

The Goddard School

 

Brookline Bank


Kristen Presley/Bedford VA

Karen Kenney/ OrganizingWorks

JRM Antiques

 

 

_________________________________________________________________
 

Chamber Calendar 

 

April 9
Catch the Net
Dodgeball/Pizza
The Edge
5:30 -7:30 PM

April 12
Board of Directors
Bedford Police Station
7:30 AM
 

April 18
Mens Breakfast Club
Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel
44 Middlesex Turnpike
Bedford, MA 01730
7:30 AM
Speaker Scott Hartman

April 18
Working Women Alliance

Town Center- Flint
noon

April 24
Multi Chamber After Hours
Waltham Doubletree
5:30 -7:30

 

April 25
Annual Dinner
Doubletree Bedford Glen
6:00 PM

May 17
Sign Bylaw Meeting & Discussion
Town Center Flint Room
7:30 -10 PM 

Link to Us 

 

 

 

 MEMBER

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bedford SEPAC 5 K

May 19
9:00 AM

Start at the JGMS and Finish on the BHS track!!

Join friends and family as you run or walk
through the neighborhoods of Bedford.

T-shirt for first 100 runners.

The course is a combination of streets and a short jaunt on the unpaved bike path.

We definitely need Volunteers, join friends and family as you run or walk through..... please join in. No experience needed. Great for fulfilling community service requirements.

 

~~~~~~~~ 

 

Bedford Education Foundation

 

What:

CREATE A PLAYZONE (an Outdoor classroom accessible to all) for Integrated preschool (51% typical, 49% special needs), CASE collaborative preschool(significant special needs, visual impaired, wheelchair bound, autism spectrum) and LABB classrooms.

 

WHY:

To honor Judy Mirel Bedford's Early Childhood Coordinator who is retiring after 35 years.

 

What you can do:

1) Purchase an element of area..prices range from $100-$3000. 

2) Donate money.        3) Volunteer services  a. mason

b. workers to install items

  c. people to build elements

d. people to help create landscape

 e. plantings

  f. artist to create mural

 

2012 CHAMBER MEMBERS   


 

Acme Packet Inc

Advanced Media Web

Atlantic Capital Stregies
Atria Longmeadow
Baldwin Insurance
Baudanza Electric
B2B CFO
B&D Agency

Bedford Acupuncture Center
Bedford Car Wash
Bedford Center for the Arts

Bedford Children's Center

Bedford Funeral Home, Inc
Bedford Historical Society

Bedford Plaza Hotel

Bedford Motel
Bedford Orthodonics
Brightview Concord River

Brookline Bank
Brown & Brown, P.C.

Callahan's Karate Studio
Calling All Pets

Cambridge Savings Bank
Carlton & Duran CPAs

Carleton-Willard Village

Christine Pinney MArketing

CouponSurfer.com

Cranberry Hill Associates

Dalya's

Design 1 Kitchen & Bath

Design Photo

Dr. Dianne Brisgeman

Dr. Kiana Kaymanesh

Dr. Oscar DePriest

DSA Printing

Edward Jones
Elm Brook Place

EMD Millipore

Enterprise Bank
Family Growin Stronger

First Parish
Flatbread Company
Frank Webb's Bath Center

Fujifilm Recording Media U.S.A.
Garrison Knight Financial Planning
GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.

Genetti's Wine & Spirits, Inc
Get In Shape for Women
Great Road Gallery & Framing
Grow a Stronger Family
Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Harold Nichols Insurance Agency
Heritage at Bedford Springs

Inner Visions Interiors
JRM Antiques

Inside Outside Staging
Kamate Fitness

Keller Williams Realty

Latady Design
Leary Auto Repair

Lexington Symphony

Live Life Well
Massage Therapy Associates

McColough Associates, Inc
Middlesex Savings BAnk

Minuteman Volkswagon Inc.
New England Nurseries, Inc.

North Road Chiropractic
Organix Spa & Salon
OrganizingWorks!
Panospin Studios

Patriot Pediatrics

Progress Software

Pulte Homes of New England

Quality Database Design

Rental Car Momma

Right At Home

Salon Alfonse
Salon OZ
Scotia Lights
Serenity Yoga
Slak Chiropractic Group

St. Michael's Parish Center
The Bedford Minuteman
The Boardroom Bistro

The Divorce Collaborative
The Edge Sports Center

The Goddard School

The Higgins Group
The Tired Dog

The UPS Store

Vela Ventures

Watson Law Offices
William Raveis Real Estate

Women's Financial Network