Monthly Archives: September 2018

Are Facebook Ads Effective?

Some things never change and advertising events is one of them. Some people think that posting on Facebook is all that is needed. How often do you check on Facebook for events? If you don’t why do you expect that all others do?

Do you belong to an organization in need of money? Is your church having its largest fundraiser in September, October, November or December? Are you at all interested in making the event bigger and more lucrative than it has ever been in the past? Then it is your responsibility and that of your friends and members to tell people.

Print advertising is most effective the week before and the week of the event. Radio advertising is best the week of the event. Cable television advertising needs to be seen the month before and of the event. On-line advertising such as facebook, tweeting and instant messaging are really effective only the day before and the day of the event but they need to be carefully timed and require the cooperation of a lot of people to click on share so that the word spreads quickly. Individual websites serve only to give people a visual of what to expect when they attend your event but are useless for genuine advertising. Ask how they will know to find your site?

As soon as you know the details of your event start placing the information on the community calendars of the local and statewide newspapers, handouts and magazines. You want people to see your event when they plan their dates, their weekends, their itineraries for their visitors. If your town or city has a website see if they have a calendar you can add to, Recreation Department calendars, Parent Teacher Organization event Calendars at each school, and Chamber of Commerce Schedules. Look around local towns for their newspapers and calendars too.

Southeastern CT has the CORE (Calendar of Regional Events) http://culturesect.org/calendar/calendar. Do you use it? Do you know about it?

Basic information for every entry is Name of Event, Sponsoring Organization, What the event is, Date and Time of the event, Where the event is to take place (the address), Purpose of the event, and any fees parking or entry and don’t forget a contact name and phone number if there are questions.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

My favorite Norwich what?

This past blog is from 2014. What has changed?
I saw a faceboook entry asking this question for Canadian residents of The Province (Vancouver, B.C.) Does your community really embrace the Christmas spirit?

Tell us why your municipality would make the list of Santa’s favourite places (don’t forget to tell us where you live).

Then I thought A city as large as Norwich, CT could so easily do a project like this with its smaller communities of Yantic, Chelsea, Occum, Taftville, Greenville, East Great Plains, Cherry Hill, Laurel Hill, Wawecus and Norwichtown.

Imagine if the residents could write in to the Norwich Bulletin why they are proud of their community, their section of Norwich. Not just at Christmas time but the rest of the year. Take it a step further and perhaps have the hosts of WICH/WCTY spend a small portion of their daily talk shows (OK one day a week in December) taking calls from residents proud of their community, neighborhood or street. What if, the host of a cable talk show invited some of these proud residents a little time for what is good about Norwich and yes how it could be improved. What if a creative advisor to the marketing class at one of the high schools or tech schools or community colleges gave the students this project as an option for community service? Would it be possible for an edited version be made available on the City of Norwich website? Or on the NCDC website? Do you think a creative real estate business could use a positive piece on Norwich on their website to help sell properties in an area? Do you think a business person would find it easier to bring a business into a community that has residents that feel good about themselves?

The professional marketers and politicians of Norwich are having some issues how to best present the city to the world, so is it time for the residents, and the taxpayers of Norwich to show them how it’s done? Send what makes you proud of your neighborhood to the Norwich Bulletin or call into the radio talk shows and tell people why you stay here. Why you choose to raise your family here. Why you pay your taxes here. Why you vote here. Why you live here. Let’s work together to make 2019 the year of Norwich residents!

Norwich Tagline

Due to some computer issues I am recycling a few past blogs.

I want to see Norwich be a home to lots and lots of new tax paying businesses. Businesses that are small to medium sized so that there is plenty of room for them to grow and expand in the future.

The term being thrown around now is for “cities to develop their brand.” The individual city needs to put their essence, their character, their spirit – into a single word or phrase that explains their city when a representative is not around to do it.

A city’s brand is developed over years by its policies and its amenities. ”small-town charm with big-city amenities,” or “One Norwich” may be extremely relevant about a place, but it is not the least bit distinct or self-explanatory.

The tag-line or brand is a statement about the product. It should tell what the product does or is. A tag line should also arouse curiosity as well as pride. An example of brand marketing is what makes you curious about a place to visit, or what advertising do you find reassuring when you decide to purchase a product.

What does Norwich do or have that makes it unique from other cities across Connecticut that would be of interest to businesses? Norwich has both a technical high school and a technical community college. Schools that might be convinced to create programs specific to a specific industry. Norwich is also located to several other technical schools and universities. Norwich has its own power company. The city that managed to keep its lights on when almost a third of the United States was in the dark.

If you were a business owner what tag-line or brand would bring you to Norwich to look around?

USS Yantic

I spent a little time on Saturday with the Yantic River clean up. My contribution was small but better than no contribution at all. Anyway, I kept thinking about all that I know about the Yantic River and recalled writing this blog back in 2014.

The Yantic River was important enough that a ship was named in its honor. Wouldn’t it be nice if the City honored the military ships named for this area? By no means is this information complete but it is what I have.

The USS Yantic was launched on March 19, 1864, and over a 60 year career she was in three wars, several skirmishes, and an expedition to Greenland.

The Yantic was commissioned on August 12, 1864. On August 13^th, she patrolled the Atlantic Coast north and east of Nantucket.

The Yantic joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Wilmington, N.C and on December 24, 1864, attempted to capture Fort Fisher, North Carolina and then moved to participate in the capture of Fort Anderson, N.C. and for the last two months of the Civil War, the Yantic performed blockade duties, part of the successful Union operation that prevented the Confederacy from trading successfully with overseas nations.

On April 25, 1881, the Yantic’s crew took part in celebrations at the unveiling of Admiral David G. Farragut’s statue in Washington D.C., before she sailed on to Mexican waters. In June at Progreso, Yucatan, she investigated the detention of the American bark Acacia .

After that, the Yantic returned north to the eastern seaport where in October 1881, she took part in ceremonies commemorating the centennial of the Battle of Groton Heights (the closest she would get to her namesake) and in the festivities celebrating the centennial of the American victory at Yorktown, Virginia.

The Yantic was the reserve ship of the Greely Relief Expedition in Greenland, and picked up the members of the expedition in Melville Bay after the Proteus , the relief ship which born them and their supplies, was crushed in the ice.

In 1889 the American Navy, including the Yantic entered Haitian waters to intimidate Legitime partisans feeling that negotiations led by Frederick Douglass with the Haitians should be backed up by cannon.

Then the Yantic is transformed into a Great Lakes Training ship, then pressed into service again during the Spanish American War, then the United States Navy assigned the Yantic as a training ship on the Great Lakes and a training base for sailors for many years and then brought back into service as a training Ship for World War I Sailors when America entered the First World War in 1917.

On October 22, 1929, the Yantic sank alongside her moorings at the foot of Townsend Avenue, prompting more romantic mariners to remark that the “old lady had gone to her well earned rest.”

Her anchor and silver alloy bell were displayed at the Brodhead Armory for many years Her hull is buried in a filled in boat slip in Gabriel Richard Park on the Detroit Riverfront near the Belle Isle Bridge. The Navy struck the Yantic from its list on May 9, 1930.

Recipe Column Thought

Reading newspapers from other communities, states and countries is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t know or mind if the news is out of date. It’s all new news to me. I look for fresh new ideas.

This time I found a great twist on a newspaper oldie but goodie. I called the editor of the paper and asked where she got the idea and what was the response. She told me it had brought in a few new subscriptions and a few new advertisers thanks to an additional promotion by the inventive advertising department. I have not been able to have a conversation with him.

Step 1 was to identify the local restaurants, bars, walk-ups, cafeterias, schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and every place that served food. The list was surprisingly long.

Step 2 was to convince each place to submit a favorite recipe that their customers or clients enjoy. Some didn’t want to share their recipes, some just defrost, heat and serve and some didn’t really serve food but wanted the FREE ADVERTISEMENT that the recipe would be. One of the bars submitted the recipe for spiced peanuts to go with beer. A walk-up explained how to make the perfect ice cream sundae. A school cafeteria submitted its “world famous” dipping sauce. The recipe did not have to be complicated.

Step 3 was deciding how often the Community Recipe should run. It was decided that it would run the day before the grocery inserts so people would have time to add to their shopping list. There was discussion whether enough recipes would be submitted for a 12 week trial run.

Step 4 What was needed for submission. A photo of the food or of the facility or of the chef or any combination. The recipe. A list of the ingredients, the amounts, the instructions, serving suggestions. At the bottom was the name of the chef, the facility, the address, website, phone number, hours.

Step 5 An advertising special was developed for the participants so they could advertise in the paper telling when their recipe was going to appear.

Step 6 Then they prayed and their prayers were answered. “Community Recipes” has been running continually for almost three years. There have been no recipe repeats and now the system evolved allows for participants to choose the date best suited to enhance their business.

Wouldn’t it be great if our local newspapers had a similar program? Especially now that Norwich, CT has so many new restaurants and coffee house? Not more recipes from the back of the package or from the internet but recipes adjusted for the tastes of our very own community.

Signs

Is it in the drinking water in Norwich, CT? Perfectly talented people come to Norwich with insightful and inventive ideas and then . . .

Norwich is beginning to be the host again of street festivals. But our streets are tiny so sometimes more than one street is needed but what I am just not able to understand is the strong conviction of organizers to not put up signs that direct attendees to the other streets in the festival. The signs would not have to be fancy. The signs could be the simple portable A-frames with “MORE” written on it clearly and an arrow pointing in the correct direction for people to find “More.”

Sometimes two or more festivals will be a street away from one another but there will be no on-site communications between the two festivals to exchange attendees. The simple “More” signs would make each of the festivals seem larger and with more activities and so a more desirable destination. This on-site cross-communication might even increase attendance and serve as an introduction to new clients, customers and members. These new people might even purchase something.

Visitors might also find signs with “Parking” and an arrow helpful as they attempt to find the entrances to the hidden parking garages and lots. I call them hidden because while the parking is in plain sight the entrances may not be if you are not familiar with them.

In some communities when there is a festival the restaurants are encouraged to develop small plate specials, even ones with food trucks. The lower priced small plates are an introduction to the restaurant and sometimes per cent coupons are passed out for use on a return visit. Over Labor Day I was in a community with a street lined with bars, a tavern, restaurants, a walk-up, a fire station, a flower shop, a gift shop, a collectibles store, a couple antique stores, a public park, a town beach, a music shell and some others I can’t recall. Anyway, they had worked out a unique $2.00 menu. Each place offered a $2.00 special. One offered a tiny margarita, another a mohito, an ice cream sundae, a wrist corsage (ok that was also a fundraiser for a local group that had made the wrist bands.) bags of bite sized clam fritters and single sip cups of chowders but it was up to the business to create their own unique $2.00 promotional item. One place had grab bags with noise makers to be used later during the fireworks. The afternoon of strolling, tasting and drinking had moved to the park to listen to the bands and to watch the fireworks over the water while some people had set up on the beach. It was constant yet relaxed movement and there were signs with arrows directing people to locations that were participating but not on the single direct street. Even I did not get lost! At 10 PM most of the families had left the area and the bars, restaurants and tavern had returned to their standard fares. Why can’t Norwich, CT develop and encourage something similar? Working as a community is not nearly as difficult as Norwich, CT makes it.

Invitation to all

To all of my friends and to those with whom I am not so friendly with and those who I have not yet met, We have all received the most wonderful of invitations from the Bozrah Farmers Market. I have replied yes so they could let people know there will be artists coming and all types of artists are welcome. Sketchers, painters, crafts people, photographers amateurs and professionals.

“ Hi! My name is Lindsey and I’m with the Bozrah Farmers Market. We are doing a “En plein art market” on Friday Sept 21st from 4p to 7p and was curious if you would be interested in coming and setting up around the market?

This is a wonderful opportunity to let people see your art work and sometimes to get a free lesson or two or more just from being around other artists and another great way to make connections you have possibly not thought of making before.

Please check them out at on Facebook Bozrah Farmer’s Market, 45 Bozrah St · (860) 984-5523

There are no fees involved. There is plenty of convenient parking. It is outside and weather dependent. There are usually some outstanding food trucks and fresh farm produce and music too.

Please be sure to say thank you for the invitation to the Bozrah Farmers Market Representative as they do make rounds to everyone to make certain everyone is as happy as possible and that you received notice of the invitation through my column. I need a little positive now and again too. Hope to see you there!

Sexual Conduct Policies

I was recently on the Yale University campus in New Haven, CT. Laying on a table were piles of papers and orientation schedules and all kinds of interesting and useful things. In addition to the papers I was supposed to collect, I also collected a few papers that caught my eye. One of those papers was called, “Affirmation of Understanding and Commitment,” that needed to be read, signed and returned to the Registrar. I hope they do not mind my sharing parts of the document with you.

It was my first experience ever seeing this type of document. When I went to school with Fred and Wilma Flintstone we did not have, or perhaps I was just unaware of school “Sexual Misconduct Policies and Related Definitions.” No one clarified to me that “sexual assault” includes penetration, oral sex, and/or sexual touching, which includes kissing, in any of four circumstances:
1. By physical force – overpowering the victim.
2. By incapacitation – with a victim who does not resist by virtue of being drunk, under the influence of drugs, or passed out.
3. By coercion-the pressure of a non-physical threat.
4. In the absence of affirmative consent.

Then there were the very clear and concise definitions of “sexual harassment” that included, among other behaviors:
1. Sexual remarks, jokes or stories that are insulting or offensive.
2. Inappropriate or offensive comments about someone’s body, appearance or sexual activities.
3. Saying crude or gross sexual things or trying to get someone to talk about sexual matters when they don’t want to.
4. Transmitting offensive sexual remarks, jokes, stories, pictures or videos to people that don’t want them.
5. Continuing to ask someone to go out, get dinner, have drinks or have sex even though they said, “No.”

I thought this was a well thought out and clear definitive list of what is socially acceptable or not. I would like to see this type of document in more work places with not just a signed copy in a personnel file but a copy given to each employee, board members and yes, volunteers in case they have a question or concern. Does your workplace have a “Sexual Misconduct” policy with related definitions?

Norwich Nuggets

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