The Inkling—Volume 1 Issue 3

VOL 1 ISSUE 3

Stuffed Bear Goes Mental

Nothing says “love” more than a teddy bear in a straight jacket. At least the Vermont Teddy Bear Company seems to think so. The company produces handmade teddy bears and is known for, “the only bear made in America and guaranteed for life.” Their collection for Valentine’s Day included a variety of love-themed bears from the Playbear Playmate to Cupid Bear. However, they recently came under fire for their Crazy for You Bear.

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company said it was meant as a light-hearted message of romance, but the National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and mental health advocates said the bear is offensive and demeaning to people struggling with mental illness.

The company was asked by both Jerry Goessel of the NAMI Vermont chapter and Rep. Anne Donahue to voluntarily pull the product from the market.

However, company officials held strong and did not change their marketing strategies for the bear. The Crazy for You Bear sold better than other bears and by Valentine’s Day was sold out.

If you want to get in on this debate, Vermont Teddy Bear has set up a phone line and e-mail address for people who want to comment on the Crazy For You Bear.

To comment on Vermont Teddy Bear's "Crazy For You" bear:
Call the company at (888) 502-1715
E-mail the company at bearcomments@vtbear.com

The Bulls-Eye Principle
Timing your marketing
Every business has natural ups and downs in its sales cycle. Some sales trends are tied to seasons, like air conditioning units and fashion products, while others are tied to an arbitrary amount of time, like purchasing a new car or buying a home. Whatever the cycle, it’s always easier to raise or lengthen a peak than to raise or shorten a valley. You will also achieve a higher marketing ROI raising a peak as compared to shortening a natural sales valley. ...GO

Going Beyond Marketing Metrics to the Bottom Line
Calculating ROMI (Return on Marketing Investment)
Measurement of marketing programs is complex and tedious. By definition, it requires well-defined and quantifiable objectives that should be inextricably linked to an organization’s higher-level business and operational goals. With this type of framework in place, marketers and executive managers can accomplish two things: ...GO

Tradeshow Success
How do you track tradeshow success?
Trade shows can be your best-concentrated sales opportunity. A host of interested prospects and customers come to you. (The days of “tradeshow trips” are over. If they attend, they’re interested.) But instead of viewing tradeshows as an opportunity to meet prospects face-to-face, some companies attend only to prevent competitors from saying they’re out of business. A tradeshow is no place to play defense. ...GO

Sales & Marketing
American Marketing Association
American Demographics
BtoB Magazine
Brand Republic Magazine
Marketing Resource
Sales and Marketing
HighBeam Research

Advertising & Design
How Magazine
AIGA
American Advertising Federation
Communication Arts
ADWEEK

April 14–17, Hunt, TX: AIGA - Austin Design Ranch
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June 7, Nashville, TN: AAF National ADDY Awards
June 11–14, Chicago, IL: HOW Design Conference
Sep. 15–17, Boston, MA: AIGA National Design Conference
Oct. 6–9, Scottsdale, AZ: HOW Business Conference

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