After months of planning, the stage is set for the highly anticipated #LTB2015.
It’s bright and early here at the Rockleigh, but a steady flow of guests is streaming in. Guests might not have had their early a.m. coffees yet, but the energy is electric.
It’s a privilege to be blogging to you LIVE throughout the day.
The reports of Black Friday’s death have been greatly exaggerated. I’ve borrowed Mark Twain’s famously derisive line to challenge the media’s contention that Black Friday is losing its luster.
Yes, I know that folks are claiming Black Friday sales were down 11%. But I don’t buy it (no pun intended). Take a closer look and you’ll see these numbers are skewed. While the value of an average online order did indeed drop by 1.8% compared to last year’s figures, actual online sales increased by a whopping 9.5%.
So you tell me: Is Black Friday a failure? Hardly!
The campaign was a knockout. Accolades pour in from all sides. People call to congratulate our marketing agency, rave about how intrigued they were by the theme, and of course ask the inevitable question I’ve heard so many times over the years: “So how’d you come up with the big idea?”
This ostensibly innocent little inquiry irks me to no end.
As if I pulled a furry pink Energizer Bunny out of a magician’s top hat. As if I snapped my fingers at the mustachioed maître d’ in a snobbish steakhouse and the big idea was ceremoniously carried in on a gleaming silver tray, resting neatly alongside a fresh mound of mashed potatoes and steamed artichoke. As if I sat down at my desk, gave my pneumatic chair two swift pumps, rolled up my shirtsleeves, and knocked out the idea in five minutes flat.
Wouldn’t that be sweet.
I’m always getting requests from people.
Will you take out the garbage already? When can you buy me that shiny toy? Could you get this new project finished before tomorrow’s deadline?
The requests arrive hard and fast, throughout the day and without letup. At home or at work, while eating, reading, showering, dressing, typing, snoozing.
You get the idea.
Would you enjoy having an ice cold bucket of water dumped over your head? Apparently, there are thousands of people out there who actually do. Or so it seems based on the many viral videos circulating of people dumping water on each other in support of something called the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Conceived by the ALS Association – an organization dedicated to the research of Lou Gehrig’s disease – this inimitable challenge requires participants to have a bucket of ice water poured on their head or donate money to the cause. Those participating can nominate others and post a video online showing how they joined the movement.
Although you may be very familiar with the Ice Bucket Challenge and have already laughed your way through dozens of clips showing people getting drenched in all sorts of hilarious ways – from former president George W. Bush and Mitt Romney to celebrities, camps and sports teams, you may not be as aware of the serious debate this campaign has caused in the world of marketing.
Articles in The New York Times, Fox News, Yahoo, and dozens of other media outlets are all dissecting the outcome of this seemingly successful campaign to establish if it indeed was a winner.
Let’s have a look at the hard facts.
The month of July has proven to be a very busy on for all of us here at Ptex Group.
After weeks of intense planning and exhausting coordination, we successfully pulled off an amazing LTB 2014 mega-event. Hundreds of community business owners and entrepreneurs walked away inspired, ready to put the wealth of knowledge dispensed at this conference to good use. (You can check out the live LTB blog to get a real-time feel of what happened during the event.)
The very day after LTB 2014 ended, my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Needless to say, I was overjoyed and thankful. Did I mention exhausted? I spent the next few days juggling my hours between work and enjoying the newest family addition – and I learned an extremely valuable marketing lesson in the process.
One morning while working at the dining room table, there was a knock at the door. It was from a man holding a beautiful breakfast platter. I automatically assumed it was being delivered from a family member or close friend. After all, a number of baby gifts had already been brought over by relatives and who else would be bringing my wife a fancy basket with breakfast inside?
A quick look at the attached card revealed who it was from: the local grocery store.
Do you know the difference between a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Maserati Quattroporte?
I do.
Show me a glimpse of the sleek, artfully sculpted flowing lines and evocative curves of an exotic automobile.
I will tell you the name, make and model instantly. And whether the engine under the hood is a 453 horsepower V8 or 460 horsepower V10. And that the seats are decorated with hand-stitched saddle tan leather trim. And how the interior door handles are made entirely from bamboo.
Allow me to confess: I’m a self-diagnosed car addict.
Q: What’s better than spending the day with a talented group of people who are passionate about providing clients with the highest levels of professionalism, commitment and service?
A: Spending the evening with those talented people in a luxurious ballroom surrounded by delectable dishes, inspiring speeches and a feeling of camaraderie.
The official Ptex Group “Time Out Event” took place on Tuesday at the opulent Renaissance Ballroom in Boro Park as a way for the “Ptex Family” to take a well-deserved break from the busy workday… and enjoy each other’s company in the presence of a fine gourmet dinner.
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