Yes, it is a fun and friendly contest and promotion but I was also schooled in popcorn machines. Who knew there was a difference?

As someone who enjoys vintage Americana and old movies I was delighted to learn about the Manley Popcorn Company and their machines. Click here for a history on the company that brought you movie theater popcorn!

Dennis Company in Raymond boasts a vintage Manley Popcorn Machine with Joe as the head popcorn chef. I have yet to taste corn popped in a Manly but I am excited for tomorrows challenge when I get to sample the corn popped in a iconic piece of American made history!

The Manley Popcorn Machine at the Raymond Dennis Company.

A Manley with great style looks to be early 1950′s my guess is it served  many bags of popcorn to movie patrons during the golden age of movies.

Not sure if this is a Manley but these wagons would park out in front of the theater selling popcorn to people heading into the theater. Eventually theater owners realized they could be reaping these popcorn profits themselves and movie theater popcorn was born.

Taste the difference yourself at the Popcorn Challenge noon tomorrow at the Lost Roo. The winner will be determined in a blind taste test by the esteemed judging panel consisting of Michael Lalewicz from the The Depot Restaurant, Mike Littawa from the Breakers Long Beach, Blane Walker from the 42nd Street Cafe, Betsy Millard from the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, Brady Turner from Adrift Hotel & Spa, Andi Day from Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau, and Jan Grambo from the Lighthouse Oceanfront Resort. The real winner of the challenge will be ether Cowlitz County CASA or the Boys & Girls Club of the Long Beach Peninsula with the loser of the challenge donating $250 to the others charity of choice.

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The Great Popcorn Challenge 2012 More Than Just Great Marketing.

Cheers!

–Keith

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Marry me!”
That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you and says,
“He’s very rich. Marry him.”
That’s Advertising.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number.
The next day you call and say, “Hi, I‚m very rich. Marry me.”
That’s Telemarketing.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and offer her a drink.
You open the door for her; pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say,
“By the way, I’m very rich. Will you marry me?”
That’s Public Relations.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
She walks up to you and says, “You are very rich.”
That’s Brand Recognition.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I’m rich. Marry me”
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
That’s Customer Feedback!!!!

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What’s the difference between branding, advertising, marketing and public relations?

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Happy Holidays to All!

SallyLeeByTheSea.com has a wonderful article on the holiday happenings –and Christmas Spirit– in Ilwaco this season.  From Crab Pot Christmas Tree (and crab pot carols) to the lighted boat parade (led by the US Coastguard) to the indoor Saturday Market, charming shops, and fireworks, you’ll want to be sure to check out her blog for wonderful photos and details.

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We’ve got spirit, yes we do!

If you want to compete in today’s business environment, you need one thing: traffic. Your customers have to know you exist, believe that you have the right product or service for them, and take the initiative to visit your website or store and make the sale. But if you’re on a budget, getting this traffic can sound like a daunting task. Until now.

There are strategies for marketing your business on a budget, and you’ll  discover that some of the most effective marketing strategies are available to you at no cost whatsoever.

1. Sending informative press releases

Informative press releases that engage the reader are a great way to position your company as a trusted authority and leader in your market. Unlike a traditional corporate press release announcing what’s new with the company, write your press release with the intention of letting your readers know how your news greatly benefits them—not you.

For maximum exposure, submit your press release to a number of online distribution services (there are both free and paid services) and fax and e-mail your press release directly to the attention of reporters that have expressed interest in your topic.

Well-written press releases can provide your company with thousands of dollars of visibility…for little or no cost. Just think, with the right press release, you could find your company being mentioned by radio, newspaper or television…as well as getting prominent placement on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

2. Become a contributing author

Whether you’re writing an article for a magazine, newspaper, blog or website, the more information you share with readers, the more likely they will view your company favorably when making a purchase decision.

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar famously says, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

They key when writing an effective article is not to sell yourself (or your company)—but rather to write with the interests of your reader at the forefront of your message. Once you understand the problem that your target market has, begin to present them with an actionable solution that will get them closer to their desired result. The more you help them, the more likely they’ll want to do business with you.

3. Doing joint-venture marketing

Joint-venture marketing, also known as strategic alliances, is an agreement or partnership made with another company for a share in the revenue that you bring one another or in exchange for a mutual benefit that will help grow one another’s businesses.

Joint-venture marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies on the planet, and it is frequently used by companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, Apple and countless others. Yet many small business owners fail to realize that this opportunity equally exists for them. Heck, even Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer used joint ventures when he was asked to repaint a white picket fence. He got a group of other boys to paint the fence for a share in the profits while Tom pulled up some shade under a tree!

Locate the companies that your ideal customers are doing business with and approach them with an offer to form a joint venture, perhaps requesting that they endorse, recommend and refer their clients to your company in return for a share in the upside revenue. With joint venture marketing, the only time you have to pay someone else money is after the sale is made and the cash is in your bank.

Using these three marketing tools, you can successfully grow your traffic on a budget.

OPEN Cardmember Charles Gaudet is a provocative marketing expert for entrepreneurs and small business owners wanting to out-think, out-market and out-earn their competition. He can be found at PredictableProfits.com.

Read more…

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3 Effective & FREE Marketing Strategies

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Happy Labor Day!

I haven’t been released to return to work just yet but I show up just about daily for a few hours to do a bit of this-n-that.  I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be on a daily basis, so it must be good for me.  Besides, staying home was making me nuts!

I’m asking friends to please feel free to drop in and visit me at home but to refrain from the same when they see my car at the office.  My time here at beachdog.com is very limited and I need to spend it wisely.

Clients, I’m taking a very limited number of appointments, but you can call the office (360-642-4431) and Wendy or Sabrina will fit you in as needed.  Honestly, Wendy, Sabrina and Ethan did such a great job while I was away, I hardly feel needed around here.  I think my 12+ hour days may be in my past (yay!).  It’s pretty clear that we have a great team in place right now, based on all the positive feedback received from YOU.  Thanks for letting me know how they were doing!

I have to share this photo with you, which could as well be me at that age.  It was taken by Becky Johnson at Sandsations this past month.

Here’s to a prosperous, healthy and FUN summer!

Keleigh

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They’re Baaaack!

While we’re very committed to shopping locally, Astoria/Warrenton may be the closest place to buy office paper by the ream.  So, fellow merchants, here’s a great coupon offer (pdf) on 20# office paper, good at the new Staples in Warrenton.  $20 for a case of Hammermill that works in inkjet or laser copier/printers, good through the end of April.

We also have it on good authority that it’s a great paper for drawing and coloring (source: Avary & Royce Murry, ages 5 & 11).

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GREAT price on 20# bond paper

Brad Worthley is a acclaimed customer service trainer whose client list includes Macys, Nordstrom, McDonalds, Alaska Airlines and Western Union, as well as small and medium organizations from a variety of industries. His mission? To help organizations create service cultures: A place where employees love to work and customers love to do business.

Brad equips companies with dynamic customer service and leadership essentials. Brad’s research shows that it is easy to change people, but unless the leadership has undergone specialized training on how to manage a service culture, the employees will revert back to their old ways within 90 days.

• Eliminate office politics
• Increase employee retention
• Increase employee performance
• Increase customer retention
• Increase sales
• Increase profits

Renowned for captivating his audiences, many have referred to his lively presentations as “shows”.

• Brad keeps seminar participants entertained while helping them retain the information they learn.
• He is a master storyteller and delivers his powerful message from the customer’s perspective.

Thanks to the Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce and the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau, you can attend a Brad Worthley seminar in  your own back yard on April 11th.  In fact, you can even afford to bring–or send–your front line employees!  These two organizations are subsidizing the cost of the workshop, making it only $10 each – INCLUDING LUNCH!  If you’re a member of the Willapa Harbor Chamber (details), it’s only $5!  You can’t beat that.

You want a sweeter deal still? Okay, how’s this?  Pacific Transit will take care of transportation to South Bend if only 15 Peninsulans register to take them up on the deal by April 1st.  Free transportation, free lunch, and only $5-10 for a speaker one would typically pay $50 to see?  Come on!

Register: Contact the Willapa Harbor Chamber at 360-942-5419 or info@willapaharbor.org

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Brad Worthley Coming To South Bend Apr 11

Click for a closer look

We’re participating in For Japan With Love, which generates funds for Shelter Box, an outstanding program Keith and Keleigh first became acquainted with through Rotary several years ago.  Shelter Box made a significant difference to survivors of Haiti’s earthquake and are now doing the same in Japan.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.  Each box supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless.  There is a great breakdown of what’s in the box at http://www.shelterboxusa.org/about.php?page=9.

If you prefer, you can donate directly to Shelter Box via their online form, and even track your box as it makes its way to Japan.

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An Immediate, Tried And True Way To Help Our Japanese Neighbors