Never Be Late Again
Today officially marks the first weekend of NFL football. As I watch the countdown clock tick down, it reminds me of the cardinal rule of business: Timing is everything.
Surprisingly, this also marks one of the biggest weekends that businesses begin creating and running their seasonal campaigns. We’re not just talking about wing joints having a food special for the big game or sporting companies advertising their latest gear. We’re reaching the end of the fiscal Quarter 3 which runs July 1st-September 30th. Once we hit Quarter 4, which usually runs October 1st-December 31st, we begin to see a radical increase in advertisements and campaigns.
You might be thinking: "Quarter 4 doesn’t start until October, so what makes these few weeks the busiest in the world of advertising and marketing?" Well, that’s because everyone is prepping their Quarter 4 campaigns. While it is true that a lot of businesses spend big in Quarter 1 (January 1st-March 31st), a lot of companies attempt to capitalize on the plethora of holidays and observations that occur at the year's end.
Whether you’re a major company prepping your holiday commercials, in-store promotions, campaigns, or a mom-and-pop bakery looking to get the word out about your latest fall flavors; now is the time to create!
I’d like to keep pounding this into your head: Timing is Everything! Having social media posts, mail campaigns, and even seasonal promotions can turn a quarter for from dull to amazing. Posting time relevant content increases user interaction across both digital and physical platforms an astounding 68%. Making your content relevant is a major key!
Over the years I’ve worked as a designer, I’ve spent time in various print shops and advertising agencies. Just like leaves changing colors before the fall begins, there's an incredible uptick in the design world as everyone begins their preparation for Quarter 4. In these weeks leading up to Quarter 4, you'll always see rush projects come out of the woods, last minute jobs come to your inbox, and frantic requests for rush shipping. On the other side of the coin, agencies, designers, and marketers already have their jobs in the queue for Quarter 4. Less than three weeks ago, I was already working on New Years celebration flyers. Know your timeline.
Everyone knows the major events that are coming up every calendar year. Don’t let them sneak up on you! Anyone that has met me can attest to what I’ve been driving home earlier In this blog. Timing is everything. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to visit Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As I walked around, I began to notice that all of the clocks in the stadium were set 15 minutes ahead of time; this is an homage to the late Packers coach Vincent Lombardi.
He expected his entire staff to be 15 minutes early to everything. Not on time, 15 minutes early. If they weren’t, he considered them late. Thus, the birth of Lombardi Time. As I read the plaque with these words above in the Lambeau Field atrium, one of the security personnel noticed me fixated on it. He approached me and said "Lombardi time, quite an idea isn’t it? You know, back in the day coaches always complimented Lombardi on his timing and a lot of them attributed it to his success." From that point on, I made it a point of pride to run on Lombard Time. Everything from my watch to my thermostat run on it, and I'd like to think it’s made a significant difference in my life and my business. Let's apply this mantra to your business and start something incredible today! So, one more time!
Timing. Is. Everything.
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