Keepin’ up with the Derkatch’s

After being appointed the Marketing and Promotions Director of my dad's optical store Great Neck Opticians, on Long Island (possibly be default) ...I was really excited to show my dad what promotional products are really about! With that being said, I did some research on the most powerful promotional items during the winter months, since the store is located in NY and we were about to hit the winter season. I went through many different options and came across the custom imprinted 7" Polar Ice Scraper. Of course, I discussed this option with my dad and he loved it! The promotional ice scraper would be a great give-a-way as we entered the cold, snowy winter. After a few different proofs on the artwork, my dad was ready to order. Of course, after just 5 business days of production and shipping time, his order of branded ice scrapers arrived! See below for a picture of how great they came out!

The response from his customers was overwhelming. Some were even requesting more than one so that the other members of their family could keep one in their car too! All winter long his customers reminded him of why he made such a great choice and he reminded them just the same by giving out the fantastic promo item to begin with! The hand-held promotional ice scraper put up a tough fight against Old Man Winter in 2010. The best part is that his customers can use them this year as well! Talk about promotional items that just keep on giving!

Fortunately, since the response last year was so outrageous, my dad returned for my services a second time. This year, I decided to take it into my own hands and make all the marketing decisions without him! Risky, you might say, but I knew with the help of my Motivators co-workers and our skilled graphic artists, I would be able to make him proud again. With that being said, I decided to go with one of my favorite promotional items... branded mints! I love them mostly because they are small enough to keep inside your pocket or handbag and you can also leave them in your car. I like to think of them as an over-sized business card or a business card with a bonus!

Coming up with the artwork and tagline was not as easy. I wanted something catchy and fun, that would still be very much relatable for his customers. Finally, I remembered a slogan that my dad had mentioned in the past. His vision was slightly different, but it is his company after all, so the least I could do was use his slogan. We went with "We Got Framed at Great Neck Opticians." As you can see in the artwork below, we created a family (much like mine!) all "framed" in their new eyeglasses or sunglasses. Just like a family portrait, they are all within a picture frame (to further go along with the theme). As mentioned above, I wanted this to be like a business card, so we also have the essential contact information for his store. I made an executive decision and we moved forward to production.

While I was visiting NY over Thanksgiving, I decided that was the perfect time to showcase the custom imprinted mints. My plan was to leave one on his dinner plate as a surprise! Thankfully, it totally worked! My dad's first reaction was - "Awesome! I love them! I'll take 200!" My response is the best part.... "Perfect, dad! I am so glad. I already have 300 waiting for you in the living room!"

I guess this is why I was "appointed" after all...