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December 16, 2020December 16, 2020

Holidays in 2020

Holidays in 2020. Have you ever thought we’d be in this position? No celebrating with extended family. Close your business. You can only have a certain amount of people to your home. No entry without a mask. Stay home.

As a result of the above state mandates, many will be having trouble celebrating anything this year. What has happened?! Where do we even live? It’s as if we are in an alternate universe. Our lives have changed dramatically since this time last year. Many lives will be impacted forever.

Some businesses are just barely getting by. Likewise, many others have suffered irreparable losses. Moreover, we haven’t even mentioned the other side affects of shutdowns. Increased drug and domestic abuse, homelessness, extensive unemployment rates, and maybe the worst of all…loss of trust. Not many trust in our government officials anymore. No matter who you support. Can you really say you trust them? We can’t. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/09/14/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings/

As a result, we despise all of it! It’s no secret that we aren’t fans of business closures. In short, who really is?

Switching Gears

Meanwhile, let’s switch gears. This isn’t meant to be a complaint blog. Although we (77 Design Co) do not like the direction any of this has taken all of us we will still celebrate. So, let’s focus our energy towards the positives.

With Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years upon us, good things will follow. So, holidays in 2020 will be different. No doubt. On the other hand how long can any of this continue?

We are natural optimists and believe most, if not all of this, will shake itself out soon. How soon? No idea. However, something has to come to a head soon because there won’t be any small business left if it doesn’t.

2021 brings us a new year and hopefully new beginnings. Let’s look at some of the positives of this year.

Positives

1.) We all got to spend more time with family. Hopefully that’s a good thing for you.

2.) Many businesses we know have adapted. Your business HAS TO pivot. Consequently this means marketing your company in different ways and operating in different ways. Unfortunately those that don’t may not make it.

3.) Most importantly, we all got a dose of reality this year. That is to say as bad as it was/is, we will learn from it. Getting punched in the face SUCKS! With roughly 25-30 years experience in martial arts, I know this firsthand.

However, when you get hit, you learn how to avoid it. You learn how to adapt. This is what we are hoping many learn from this. Don’t let your business be vulnerable. Don’t allow your life to be vulnerable. Preparation is key.

In conclusion, go celebrate the holidays. Moreover, enjoy the time off. Spend every chance soaking up the time with friends or family. Likewise, remember to be prepared and diligent. However, remember, nothing lasts forever.

Have a great Christmas, Hanukkah, and a happy New Years!

77 Design Co-helping all small business market themselves better.

If your business is suffering we are here to help. https://77designco.com/services-2/

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020

Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving 2020 will be unlike any our generation has experienced. With lockdowns and restrictions happening across the country, less people will be out. Many will head to the big stores if they do go shopping. Small business will need your help!

While some will be shut in avoiding family and friends for the holidays, it’s obviously important to think of those still working. Certainly we will be thankful first for the doctors, nurses, first responders and others that selflessly work through a pandemic.

On the other hand, we also need to think about small business owners. These are our friends, neighbors, and families who work independently.

Support Small When Possible

“Small Business Saturday” is coming up in a few days. We all need to consider spending a few extra dollars to support the small stores. When possible, think small instead of supporting large retail chains. On Black Friday, and this shopping weekend, millions will flock to the giant corporations. They will profit and most will still be around when this ends. That is not to say large corporations are bad. They are still necessary to supply jobs and products you may not be able to find elsewhere.

However, there will also be millions of small business owners that will need your help feeding their children, and keeping a roof over their heads. Thanksgiving 2020 will hit these small businesses hard.

Small business owners always have an uphill battle. Rents, insurances, supply costs, payrolls, and the cost of doing business are all difficult to deal with. The hours are grueling (we can attest to this,) there are financially difficult times (we can attest to this too,) and in today’s world it’s even harder for them to survive.

This Thanksgiving, take a moment to be thankful that in America we still have the ability to own our own business. That is, in many cases, the American dream. It’s also a big reason why so many have migrated here from around the world in the past.

Don’t Forget the Pie!

Also, check out this apple pie recipe we posted a few years ago from Holly! https://77designco.com/apple-pie-anyone-happy-thanksgiving-from-77/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

A Brief History of Halloween.

A brief history of Halloween. We posted this last year but it may become a yearly tradition to share over and over again. For example, some people may not understand what Halloween is really all about and may find it interesting. Likewise, others may just enjoy the updated images and goofiness we will add to it from year to year.

Halloween is just about here! It’s one of our favorite days of the year! Why do we dress up? What’s the deal with trick or treating? Why do we carve pumpkins? Have you ever wondered how Halloween started and what traditions continued through the years? What has changed or has been phased out? Read further to find out more.

History

So, Halloween technically began as the festival of Samhain. Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the “darker half” or winter as we know it. The festival takes places October 31 – November 1. Celts believed that on the night before the new year (November 1), the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred or thin. Scary stuff!

Most importantly, they would have big parties or feasts and dress in costumes because they believed it would scare away the ghosts and spirits. Do you see the correlation? Consequently, we then get to America, where we traditionalize everything and make carving pumpkins and trick or treating super popular. Meanwhile, let’s talk about trick or treating.

So, way back when, young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors. Subsequently, it then trickled down to young children dressing up and getting candy from neighbors.

Did you know?

One quarter of all the candy sold annually in the U.S. is purchased for Halloween. So, do you carve pumpkins? Do you go the traditional scary route or do something fun and different? Are you the type of person that will hand out candy to little kids or keep the light off? Speaking of modifying traditions, there are parents that have a basket of candy for kids, and a basket of beer for the parents that go around with them. In conclusion, that is a modern twist on a tradition that we can get down with!

Costumes?

What’s the coolest costumes you have? Send us photos and we’ll share them on social media! We hope you enjoy our little Brief History of Halloween!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020

Marketing & Hunting

Marketing & hunting. What do these have in common? Read on, I will explain.

Some time ago, we wrote a blog about marketing and gardening. You can view it here if you haven’t yet read it: https://77designco.com/marketing-gardening-a-comparable-explanation/

This got us thinking about some things. It made us aware that much like gardening, marketing and hunting are also similar in many ways. Hunting season is in full swing (at least for the archers) in PA. Turkey season, small game, and deer (rifle) season will all be coming up soon too. Many of our friends have “buck fever” and are spending a good deal of time in the woods.

Hunting is often misunderstood. You may even be downright creeped out by it. No doubt though, it’s one of humanities oldest activities. It was (and in some cases still is) a necessity to live. Yes, we also know there are and were vegetarians that simply just foraged for food too. Let’s get that out in the open as well. However, hunting and fishing provided the necessary proteins and fats for early humans and their tribes. Let’s break this down a little more.

Knowing Your Target.

Marketing & hunting share some unique similarities. For instance, let’s start from step one.

Marketing your business requires knowing your target audience. Much like hunting you’ll need to know what your target is. You can’t randomly wander the woods looking for a piece of game. Therefore some thought needs to be put into it. Preparation too.

Searching for a specific animal requires knowing where and when to find it. Finding the best spots or times increases your chances exponentially for a successful harvest. Likewise, successful marketing means knowing EXACTLY who your customer is. Age. Location. Likes and dislikes. Buying habits. These are all important to know in order to increase your chances of marketing success.

Choose Your Weapon.

A successful hunter will know his or her caliber needed for what they are hunting. Shotgun, 12 gauge or 20 gauge? Which rifle will you need for deer, bear or elk? Selecting the correct weapon is critical to a quick and ethical kill.

Similarly, you’ll need to know which marketing “weapon” to use. Are you looking to touch a wide audience or a very narrow and specific individual? Perhaps your customer base is ages 24-30. Is Instagram the correct marketing tool to use?

Let’s say I wanted to get in front of a 58 year old male that owns a hardware store. I would consider a direct mail campaign directed to local hardware store owners within that age bracket. That’s narrowing down and selecting the right “weapon” in this case. There’s a huge range of hypotheticals we could use but for the sake of keeping it short and sweet, this can give you ideas.

The Harvest.

Obviously, there’s more to successful hunting and marketing than just knowing your target and choosing a weapon. There are many other aspects to take into great consideration for both. For the sake of keeping this blog short and easily readable we’ll skip to the end results though.

Any ethical hunter worth their weight is salt will tell you to be selective in what you kill. Allowing an animal(s) to reach a certain breeding age, size, or herd populace will ensure future success. Following the guidelines set by the state is also a must.

Likewise, marketing a product or service should be selective. Absent minded spending will fail. Being in the right places, with the right content, and in front of the correct customer base will pay dividends. Following the guidelines on social media, and then responding to messages, emails, calls, and review responses will lead your business to a successful harvest as well.

What other things do you think marketing & hunting have in common?

If you are into hunting and read this far, here are a few tips for hunting the West from American Hunter: https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2020/8/17/tips-and-tactics-for-hunting-the-west/

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020

Things That Are Happening

Just a quick blog to discuss some things that are happening at double 7’s lately. Yes, we’ve made it through the worst part of the pandemic. Certainly, our hope is that your business is making it happen too! Most importantly though, we hope everyone is safe.

Come Together

It seems like some local business is slowly starting to come back to a little normalcy. Although, we’re not sure how long it will last. We’ll continue to hope for normalcy again though!

All of this craziness (protests, racism, rioting, police problems, government overreach, and stupid virus stuff) needs to stop. When are we going to come together as a society and simply focus on being unified?

All of us (in the U.S.) live in the greatest country in the world (despite what some may say) and we need to treat each other with respect and dignity. To sum up, that’s all we’ll say about any of that. So, go be good to one another. Period.

Treat each other well.

Things We Are Working On

Through the mess, 77 Design Co has managed to maintain consistent stability and even picked up a few new projects. Helping business is what we do, and our overall goal is to grow each company that we work with.

Some of the new things that are happening with 77 include:

* A new website for a health insurance agency.

* A new website for a local spa.

* Social media management for an RHVAC company.

* Product and commercial photography for a manufacturer.

* Likewise, possibly a new website for that same manufacturer.

* Video project for a local church organization.

* Print catalog design for another manufacturer.

And a few more projects in the works.

In other words, it’s been kind of busy lately. It excites us to see some business owners forging ahead with their marketing plans! Additionally, it also excites us to see some business closing in on normal operations.

These last six months have been trying for everyone, but there needs to be a point where you say “forget it, move ahead.” Or, your business could be shackled like in the below image.

Don’t shackle your business.

Need ideas on how to kick start your business? Our FREE marketing consultation is offered to any business looking to get on the right track. https://77designco.com/services-2/

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

Marketing Success Stories

Marketing success stories. How about some optimism? Because racial tensions, increased Covid cases, stupid politics, government mandates, business closures, riots, and everything else in the news is usually bad. So, let’s talk positivity.

Marketing helps!

In this uncertain and crippled economic climate, some businesses have managed success. Despite the difficulties now your business needs to stay relevant. Marketing does that! On a micro level, a few places locally have seen an uptick in business due to continued marketing. We’ll share a few stories with you this week.

Story 1

One of the marketing success stories we’ll share is a local brewery. As a result of a social media training program, this local brewery is seeing a surge in engagement. Consequently, this has improved sales.

Customers consistently come in and say, “Hey, we follow you on Facebook.” Likewise, they’ll hear “we love your Facebook videos” or share similar comments. Awesome! We love to hear it!

Brewery: We were never open to retail before. Recently, we opened a pop up beer garden and we went from 0% retail to selling about the same as wholesale. Our business is selling more merchandise too. Social media is keeping us going. For instance, our engagement is now between 800-1200 per post versus the 60-200 we’d get before. That’s a big increase! It’s growing daily too. Likes and shares have increased as well. This varies post to post.

Another success we’ve seen is brand awareness. Most people didn’t know about us before. As a result of our consistent social media posting many people tell us they know all about our beers now. Facebook and Instagram are really helping. We’re more informed and educated about what we are doing now. http://www.sobbrews.com

Story 2

Food is essential. We all know that. Everyone needs food to survive. A local food service company that we work with has taken the pitfalls of this pandemic and turned it into a way to increase business while also taking better care of their customers. They have utilized their customizable food packages to ensure the safety of their customers simultaneously. How? Offer great food, have it delivered, and never leave home for it.

Food Service Company: Our current success directly correlates with our social media program. Before the pandemic we did our best, but now its more tightened. Our pages are fun AND informative now. Creative photos and videos help tremendously. New likes and shares are common on a daily basis.

Messages come in multiple times daily. It’s sometimes overwhelming how many we get. Existing customers want to order more food. New customers want to learn more about our products.

Facebook and Instagram have been huge. Sales have increased 50-60% over last year. That’s the trend so far, though it may be higher by years end. That has translated into a massive increase in revenue, but we’d rather not state an exact dollar amount. https://proniosfoods.com

Story 3

We won’t get too deep into this marketing success story, but a few parishes in the local area that we work with have also seen improvements. Pre COVID numbers had increased giving, but more importantly to them, more member engagement.

These churches wanted ways of reaching their parishioners better to pass along the Word of God and they’ve been utilizing social media and user friendly website updates to do that. Email marketing (or as one church official says, “email evangelization”) has helped them reach those who cannot attend masses. It has also kept their parishes up to date on all the happenings. All of these are great ways to spread their message and stay in front of their beloved members.

If you need marketing help, drop us a line. We’ll help any way we can. https://77designco.com

Analyze. Create. Achieve.