Construction Management Firm Seeks To Celebrate
60th Year in Unique Way
The year 2007 was ELAINE Construction's 60th year in business and the family-owned and operated firm was looking to celebrate in a unique way. Among the company's goals for the year was a lasting direct mail campaign that would "wow" recipients and not get tossed out moments after it was received. ELAINE wanted to send its mailing list of 1,300 clients and colleagues something tangible and practical in this special campaign - a simple oversized postcard just wouldn't suffice this time. Because the mailing list included professionals in the design and real estate industry, the promotion needed to be appropriate for both executives and designers.
Enter Celebrate
Celebrate had been working for more than a year with ELAINE Construction as its outsourced marketing firm. We provided the company with graphic design, event planning, and marketing promotions. For this 60th anniversary, we knew that we wanted to create a promotional campaign that would be memorable and that recipients would save, preferably on their valuable desktop real estate - the goal was to keep ELAINE top of mind throughout the year.
We began by designing a special 60th year logo, which is always a great idea for big anniversaries. We then designed the postcard as a foldover card that showcased the 60th year logo and brand identity and included a photo of a current project and write-up on the inside and a "vintage" project with date on the back side. This concept enabled us to emphasize the breadth of work that ELAINE Construction has done over the 60 years. We designed five cast magnets that related to the 60th year anniversary and have since added two more.
Results Worth Celebrating
Within days of the first mailing, the staff at ELAINE was flooded with amazing feedback regarding their magnet board/magnet campaign. Recipients complimented both the promotion's creativity and edgy design. Before the mailing, many of ELAINE's clients and colleagues were unaware that the firm was marking such a big milestone. The campaign yielded many sincere wishes of congratulations and strengthened ELAINE's image as a reputable, here-to-stay, construction company.
As the anniversary year progressed and people continued to receive their magnets and postcards, we received feedback that wherever anyone travels within the Boston design and real estate industry, they are sure to see an ELAINE magnet board on someone's desk. How is that for brand awareness?
The direct mail campaign received an Honorary Mention in the Media Relations category of the Boston Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Marketing Communication Awards in June 2008.
