It has been unseasonably warm (OK, ungodly hot) in the Pacific Northwest this summer. Even though my house has air conditioning, it’s still hot…there’s only so much the A/C can do, and come late afternoon, it’s hard to muster the energy to do much of anything.
We were all draped over furniture on a sweltering Monday, trying not to move, when we heard it. The unmistakable twinkling sound of Turkey in the Straw.
THE ICE CREAM MAN IS COMING!
Pow! Up in a flash, grab a wallet and masks, and race out the door. Ten minutes later, we’re sitting on the front lawn, the heat totally forgotten (mostly). My son has a Spongebob Squarepants popsicle dripping down his chin, my husband has something with peanut butter in it, and I’m devouring vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate. It’s heaven. And we didn’t even know we needed this a few minutes ago.
The ice cream man used to come by a few nights a week in his little white truck, all summer long, but we haven’t seen him since the pandemic started. There’s been so much else to think about in the last year that I largely forgot he existed. And then suddenly he was there again, saying hello with his happy music, reminding us that we really need ice cream, right now, and he is available to provide it.
That’s what good marketing does—even if it’s infrequent or not very flashy. A simple message to your customers or supporters that says, “Hey, I’m here and I have this thing that you like, and I can give it to you if you want it.” Because there IS someone on your list that needs the class you’re offering, or wants to attend the event you’re hosting, or supports the cause you’re promoting. They might just need a quick reminder to move you to the top of their list.
And if you need help figuring out what to send or how to send it, let’s talk.
