Rekindle the romance with your home.” “Restore your home to its old glory.” “Gratitude … can turn … a house into a home.”
Besides featuring the word “home,” these lines all appear in greeting cards sent by remodelers on holidays other than the usual Christmas/New Year's event. The romance line, for instance, came from a Valentine's Day card. The nod to Old Glory appeared in a Fourth of July card. The reflection on gratitude appeared in a Thanksgiving card.
The idea, of course, is to reach clients and prospects at a time of year that is reflective and celebratory but which doesn't typically flood mailboxes with greeting cards. “Most people's homes are emotionally loaded,” says architect Bruce Wentworth, whose eponymous design/build company in Chevy Chase, Md., sent the stylish and humorous romance card (shown) and the nod to Old Glory. He says that taking advantage of the lesser holidays gives his company “an opportunity to connect with clients on a more frequent basis,” in an offbeat manner that resonates with his sophisticated audience.
Wentworth also sends cards on Thanksgiving and Halloween, tailoring the message and colors to the holiday. Last year's Halloween card, for instance, shouted “Boo!” on a bright orange background.
The tongue-in-cheek romance angle also hits home with Mark IV Builders, another Maryland design/build company. “We did our fifth Valentine's Day mailer this year,” president Mark Scott says. The company's annual tradition intersperses practical romance tips (“walk hand-in-hand together”) with plugs for his company's services. On the back, the card also singles out one client who has “given back to the community or helped us in a special way,” Scott explains.
Scott says the mailer “has never failed to generate calls into the office and at least a few leads. It always creates a buzz.” Wentworth's experience has been similar.
