1 GIRLFRIEND’S DAY is the perfect date for a “bring a friend” event. Lay out some fresh baked cookies and gourmet coffee and show off your fashion eyewear. Once friends start trying on new frames, financial prudence flies out the door.
18 Medical researcher Julius Comroe defined serendipity as “looking for a needle in a haystack and getting out of it with the farmer’s daughter.” On SERENDIPITY DAY the idea of “happy accidents” is a great theme for a sales event. Try surprise giveaways, or a marketing exercise you’ve never done before. You never know.
28 Ninety-five years ago, a Long Island station broadcast the FIRST RADIO COMMERCIAL. It cost $100 and lasted 10 minutes. (We can hear it now: “But wait! That’s not all!…”) Today you can get short spots for less than that, especially at this time of year. Shop around, be pleasant but persistent, and you could get deals way below the published rate card. (For ideas on how best to advertise on radio, see Roy Williams’ Monday Morning Memos at rhw.com.)
SEPTEMBER
1 The bad news: One in six Americans aged 65 or older has a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The good news: ECPs can help. The frustrating news: Many older adults neglect to see an eye doctor for care. During HEALTHY AGING MONTH, raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of vision loss through blog posts, media releases or community outreach (Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, bingo halls, or wherever the elderly gather). You can find resources here: invmag.us/071701.
1 Scary stat for the month: At least one in four businesses affected by a disaster never reopens. During NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH, be sure to visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website, dhs.gov, so you can be as prepared as possible for any emergencies. “Freak weather” has become routine of late.
5 On the 105TH ANNIVERSARY of John Cage’s birth, crank up his best-known piece: “Four Minutes, 33 Seconds.” Full orchestral or death metal version, it doesn’t really matter — the musicians don’t play a note. Cage’s point was for the audience to focus on the sounds around them. So, as you silently sit in your practice, what do you hear? An unnerving quiet? The buzz of ads from your flat-screens? Chuckling staff in the back room? Ringing phones? Beeping equipment? What auditory identity does your practice give off?
29 What boosts brain function, energy levels and life span, tastes good, and has nearly no calories? Yes, the humble cup of Joe. On NATIONAL COFFEE DAY celebrate by tweaking your coffee routine: Wait until 9:30-11:30 a.m. for your first cup, and then 1:30-5 p.m. for your second. As neuroscientist Dr. Steven Miller tells Fast Company, your body provides infusions of cortisol around 8 to 9 a.m. and 12 to 1 p.m., so any caffeine boost then is wasted.
Happy 50th Birthday to Ty Burrell
Aug. 22 In a TV ad for the National Association of Realtors, Ty Burrell, as his Modern Family character Phil Dunphy, urges homebuyers to get a pre-approved mortgage. “Play it safe,” he says. “Kind of like making sure the reading glasses you fell in love with at the store aren’t women’s glasses so you don’t have to wear them just to prove a point.” In real life, the actor shows bolder taste in glasses, like the Derek Cardigan 7012 Ice frames he wore to the 2014 Emmys.
More August/September Events to Remember
- Aug. 5 Marilyn Monroe died 55 years ago (Aug. 5), Elvis Presley 40 (Aug. 16), and Princess Diana 15 (Aug. 31). Fete these sunglass icons on Instagram.
- Aug. 6 Smile Week. The best kind of smile? A “genuine” one. A Bangor University study says the proof is in tiny wrinkles in the corners of the eyes. Tell your sales staff.
- Aug. 28 The U.S. Open Tennis Championships start. Promote tennis sunwear today.
- Sept. 16 100 days till Christmas. Get your holiday-season ducks in a row.
- Sept. 22 Summer is over, work awaits. Warm up with a promotion — perhaps a joint fall campaign with a clothing store?
- Sept. 27 National Hunting and Fishing Day. You’ve got the gear. Tell your hunters.
STORE ANNIVERSARY
McDonald Optical Turns 61
McDonald Optical opened in 1956 and is now being run by the founder’s grandson.
McDonald Optical in Iowa City, IA, celebrated 61 years in business with a large sale, a ProDesign trunk show, and plenty of excitement. Patrons received 30 percent off complete pairs of prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses for a week in June. The practice was opened in 1956 by Al McDonald. Reid McDonald, Al’s grandson and third-generation owner, says, “We have a long legacy of helping people in our community with their sight needs. Sixty-one years is a really long time. And we really just want to pass our gratitude on to those who helped get us here.” The original neon sign now hangs inside the practice.