IDEAS

1.

My love affair with megaphones began with my career as a carnival barker…

I had an award winning idea when I worked at Lindsay Automotive. smart usa was challenging dealers to come up with a great marketing plan to launch their new smart dealerships. Because the cars are small, dealerships painted rings on the lot so people could experience the tight turning radius.

I pulled together the best in the business, including Amy Simpson standing to my left, and we riffed over lunch and ended up with a carnival theme — the smart CARnival. Amy, the best graphic designer anywhere, came up with the poster which looked like a vintage carnival advertisement. I hired the Washington Nationals mascots to serve like carnival clowns.

My boss submitted my idea to smartusa and our marketing plan was recognized as one of the top in the country.

To hire Amy and her husband, visit SIMPATICO DESIGN STUDIO.

2.

Alexandria, VA, is crazy about their pets. While there on another mission, the director asked me how to “push cat adoptions” one summer…

Because I was director of marketing at Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria, the tie in had to benefit pushing the Lindsay brand forward with cats. Except for kittens, the cats were used, so we came up with a Certified Pre-Owned Cat campaign. We made promotional cards for each cat cage using language associated with certified pre-owned cars. My employer thought it was cute so approved. His mother, co-owner in the multi-generational family business, said I’d lost my mind and needed to be reigned in.

Fortunately, Mrs. America that year was from Alexandria and a vet! She was our spokesperson who happened to be interviewed by the nationally airead CBS Morning Show. That’s exposure we’d never planned for, but WOW. My boss came in the next day and said, “my mother apologizes.”