September 24, 2009
OPEN Forum Message
Business Forecasting 2012
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If you want to hear innovative, inexpensive ideas for marketing, just talk to an entrepreneur. I was reminded of this when talking to Tom Lotrecchiano, co-founder of Canvas On Demand, a Raleigh-based company that takes the photos customers upload and prints them onto canvas, creating artwork out of personal images.
Tom and his partner, Joe Schmidt, started their company in 2003. Last year, they grew 40%; this year, they’ll grow another 30%. I asked Tom how they’ve been so successful despite the recession, and he told me: “We’ve decided to ignore the recession and strategize for growth.” And their success, I learned, is due to marketing programs centered on customer appreciation:
- Public Relations: They started with their “Operation Hi, Mom” program and recently added “Operation Hi, Honey.” They offer free canvas prints for troops deployed overseas to send on Mother’s Day and anniversaries, respectively. Their appreciation for the men and women in the military has generated a wealth of press and testimonials for the company.
- Road Show: They have taken the PR on tour with “On the Road with Mom”, in which Joe’s mother drives across the country personally delivering the troops’ gifts. Her visits to the moms and honeys have also generated a lot of press.
- Community Support: Their community-based “Doing Good” promotion awards a $100 gift certificate to any nonprofit seeking raffle donations, with requests typically coming through customers. The company asks the non-profit to display a sample canvas and add a link to Canvas On Demand from their website – further generating awareness.
- Social Media: They recently launched a Facebook fan page, and have Twitter accounts for Tom, Joe, and Joe’s mother. Plus, whenever someone places an order, they receive a thumbnail image of their artwork for them to post online to their own blog or Facebook page. The result is thousands of images all over the Internet linking back to Canvas On Demand.
- Evangelism: Anyone can sign up to be a “Canvas Crazy” and get a t-shirt and a $25 gift certificate for a friend or family member. Canvas Crazies are invited to participate in “canvas challenges” and other activities that promote the company. As Tom emphasized, rather than financial incentives, the program’s success is based on the customers’ genuine support. “Our evangelists believe in us, they love our product and our service. They want to help us be more successful.”
I asked Tom what inspired such programs, and he said the ideas came from listening to their customers. “We talk to our customers and ask them for help. For example, we got the idea for the Canvas Crazies from reading testimonials. We realized our people are really passionate about their photo on canvas and our company, and we wanted to find a way to help them share their experience with others.”
In our recent results of American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor (Fall 2009), 41% of small business owners said their top priority over the next six months is maintaining current sources of revenue. I hope some of Tom and Joe’s programs give you ideas for developing customer appreciation.
And that appreciation for their customers has had an enormous impact on their growth.
If you have a story about innovative marketing programs, e-mail me at marcy@openforum.com. Your experience could help to inspire other business owners. I also invite you to follow me on Twitter @marcyshinder.
For more information on Tom Lotrecchiano (Cardmember since 2002) and Canvas On Demand, visit www.canvasondemand.com. You can also visit their other Web sites: Greatbigcanvas.com and Photopopart.com.
And click here for more American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor results.
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