The Business of Free: Using Customer Loyalty Cards & Coupons To Save Hundreds

With the current state of the economy more and more people are thinking about ways to save money. Some people have been able to cut their grocery bills to ZERO by simply using customer loyalty cards, coupons, and advertised specials.

Most of us have customer loyalty cards attached to our key rings; perhaps one for our favorite grocery store, drug store, and hardware store and, if you're like most people, you use them rather passively. However, if you are careful you can combine that customer loyalty card with coupons and specials to save hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill. In fact, several people have made a business out of using customer loyalty cards and coupons to feed their families for free or very close to it.

Now while you may not be able to feed a family of 6 for $4 per week, with a little time and creativity imagine what you could do with that simple plastic card on your key ring and those coupons in the paper.

Customer Loyalty Cards and Coupons - the recession buster... who knew?

Happy Birthday Barcode!

Today the barcode celebrates its 57th birthday.

On October 7, 1952 Norman J. Woodland and Bernard Silver were awarded U.S. Patent 2,612,994 - the patent for the barcode system.

This patent revolutionized the retail industry and gave birth to the Universal Product Code or UPC. Today the UPC and other barcodes are a crucial part of modern society. Imagine a world where UPS and FedEx did not have barcoded package labels, the grocery store did not implement UPC, or your favorite loyalty card was a stamp book rather than a barcoded keytag.

The barcode has become so common in modern civilization that it practically touches every part of our lives... increasing efficiency and lowering costs for every product or service we use.

Today as you go about your work and errands, pause for a moment to remember that rather plain white block with black stripes and reflect on how after 57 years it is still as important a technology as the microchip, satellite communication, or fiber optics.

*StoneHouse Marketing Services is a leader in managed print solutions with over 14 years of experience in barcoded gift and loyalty marketing products. Contact us today to learn how we can help create a variable barcoded product to help you build your business.

Loyalty Program Participation Increasing During Recession

With the news of the economic recession and shrinking discretionary spending many retailers are looking for ways to increase customer loyalty. One of the best ways to compete in the current economic climate is with a strong, rewards based, customer loyalty program.

According to a recent study, participation in reward and loyalty programs has risen 19% since 2007 with many consumers reporting the economy having a positive influence on their participation in such programs.

The greatest growth came from the 19–25 age group, dubbed Millennials. This group showed an increase in program participation of 32%. Participation among this group is expected to increase even further with 27% expressing a desire to join new rewards programs in the future.

A huge opportunity exists with Millennials as these young consumers are building brand loyalty and are eager to participate in programs which reward repeat business.

StoneHouse Marketing Services has been providing companies with tools to cultivate customer loyalty for over a decade. We have seen booms and recessions and know that a strong customer loyalty effort plays an important role for any organization hoping to weather the storm. We can help you design a loyalty program that will reach your customers on a personal level and show them you truly appreciate their business.

Contact StoneHouse Marketing Services today to learn how your company can benefit from the increase in customer loyalty program participation. We have the tools to help increase customer loyalty and help you build your business.

StoneHouse Marketing Services
2039 Industrial Blvd.
Norman, OK 73069
405-360-5674

http://stonehousemarketing.com
http://bit.ly/SHMSfacebook

Source: “Despite recession, program participation jumps 20 percent,” July 2009, Colloquy. http://www.colloquy.com/article_view.asp?xd=6179

Personalization builds rapport with customers.

What is the most beautiful sound in any language?  Your own name. 

People love hearing their own name.  It builds rapport and can be soothing and disarming - this is something I learned during my college days as a telephone sales rep, but the same is true in the world of print and direct marketing.  People love reading their own name.

When designing a one to one marketing plan personalization plays a key factor in standing out.  Having a product that is tailored around the recipient makes the difference between your piece making a connection with the customer or the customer's recycling bin. 

Now imagine being able to send a piece that is completely personalized with every text box and image being variable.  Imagine the excitement on a person's face when they realize that the piece in the mail is far more than junk mail, but a personal communication.  At that point you have created a touch point that makes a lasting impression.

With today's digital printing technologies this kind of One:One marketing is not only possible, but also easily affordable.  StoneHouse Marketing is a leader in digital printing and personalization with both the technology and expertise to help you design a personal communication that will connect with customers on a new level.

It definitely beats getting a piece in the mail that reads "or current resident." 

-Clayton Dorris

If you are looking for ways to create personalized One:One direct mail pieces feel free to email me (clayton@stonehousemarketing.com), Twitter me (http://twitter.com/okfacts), or find StoneHouse Marketing Services on facebook. 

 

Spring forward and save time with StoneHouse Marketing Services!

Spring forward and save time with StoneHouse Marketing Services!

The transition to Daylight Saving Time can be a tough one for many of us (unless you live in Arizona), but it is nice to have an extra hour of daylight after a hard day at the office.  However, sleep scientists are studying the effects of DST and have some surprising results.  Whether or not your body has adjusted by now is up for serious debate, and many claim that the body never actually adjusts to the change.  What do you think?  Can you feel a disruption in your sleep patterns long after the DST transition or are you well adjusted by now?  

This month, in honor of Daylight Saving Time, StoneHouse Marketing is proud to announce our digital printing and mailing solutions that will save your company both time and money.

StoneHouse has the latest in digital print with our 3 HP Indigo 5500 presses.  These presses allow us to produce highly personalized cards and carriers in a fraction of the time required by offset presses.  In fact, digital printing gives you far more freedom and flexibility in design than the traditional offset printing process.  We can print on a variety of substrates, giving you a complete solution for digital printing.  However, our time saving solutions don’t stop there!
 

StoneHouse also has the latest in intelligent inserting equipment to satisfy your mailing needs and save you time. 
 

Whether developing a custom direct mailer, membership package, or any piece that requires sophisticated matching and inserting our two Pitney Bowes FlowMaster® RS Flex inserters can handle the job.  These inserters are capable of inserting a variety of materials from stitched booklets to CDs.  The FlowMaster® RS Flex is truly flexible!
 

•    Envelope sizes from #7 through #11
•    Capable of inserting 10 x 13 flats
•    Inline postage metering
•    Inserts up to 16,000 letters or 12,000 flats per hour
•    Material flexibility – single panel glossy, booklets, Z fold, CDs, and more!
 

The Pitney Bowes FlowMaster® RS Flex is just one more solution StoneHouse has to offer to help your company meet its marketing needs.  Come visit our Norman, OK facility and see all the ways we can help save you time and money. 

  Do you Twitter?  Follow OKfacts for daily tidbits about Oklahoma: http://twitter.com/okfacts

 
Clayton E. Dorris

StoneHouse Marketing

2039 Industrial Blvd.

Norman, OK 73069

405-360-5674 (office)

405-206-3041 (mobile / text)

 

www.StoneHouseMarketing.com

 

Happy Friday the 13th!!

With today's release of the slasher film, Friday the 13th, we thought it only fitting to announce our latest in cutting technology. 

The newest addition here at StoneHouse is the M3 Magnacutter. This cylinder style die cutter is perfect for cutting carriers with intricate patterns and shapes. Combine the high run speeds (up to 5000 impressions per hour) and a set up time of less than 10 minutes with our 3 HP Indigo Digital Presses to create custom carriers or marketing pieces with highly unique cuts and folds.

Come visit our facility in Norman, OK and see this truly innovative machine in action and find out how we can use this new addition to help you build your business.

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Yours truly,
StoneHouse Marketing Services2039 Industrial Blvd
Norman, OK 73069
www.stonehousemarketing.com
Office: 405-360-5674
Cell: 405-206-3041
Fax: 405-329-1913

Enjoy the trailer for the re-imagining of the horror classic, Friday the 13th, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp276DOPQw0