A bulletin-sized billboard (large format), perhaps my favorite tactic created in support of New England Hydroponics, here repurposed as a website slide/rotator.
As those of us in the Northeast face yet another of New England’s infamous winters, I can’t help but look back with a sense of pride to a billboard Thomas Marketing Services created and posted for 3 months in 2019 in support of what was then New England Hydroponics’ 4th store in Seekonk, MA. Within months it became a destination for Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts hobbyists and commercial cultivators. (See below for radio spots.)
Advertising works. But, like all other marketing programs its tactics need to be based in a strategic framework, and a strong and clear position so each of its parts have a defined platform upon which to gain traction, momentum, and top-of-mind recall. And of course, short- and long-term return on investment.
Do you believe some determined marketing could help your business? It’s more affordable than you think. Call me, Tom Lanen, at (508) 951-0130 and let’s chat a bit on my nickel. Or send me a note at [email protected]
PS: Take a listen to:
An Event Marketing Promotionalradio spot produced with Mike Hsu in support of New England Hydroponics open house events in Seekonk & Auburn, and;
A Branded,”Price Match” Pull Marketingradio spot produced with Mike Hsu in support of the Auburn & Marlborough stores.
A Grand Openingradio spot produced with Steve Kelly in support of the Seekonk store – Providence/Fall River, MA DMI
How The “Ted Lanen Tie Buying Strategy” Can Help Men of Age (Re)Define Their Personal Brand Image
Vol 2, №3
My dad, Ted (Teuvo) Lanen (1926–2008) was an Electrical Engineer and Tufts ROTC grad who did his time in a couple large corporations before becoming a Sales Engineer for an electric process and comfort heating equipment manufacturer’s representative he’d come to own. This was back in the day when Reddy Kilowatt (created in 1926), was a cartoon image many of the then nascent electrical utility businesses used in their marketing.
My hippie brand, circa 1971
Despite Ted’s hopes, I simply could not imagine being a more boring business; its image wasn’t even droll, which implies some sort of amusement. And there was nothing amusing about it to me, the oldest son of three in the family, especially since I was (and resented) the first line of parental discipline, a throw-back to my dad’s upbringing as an only son of strict Finnish immigrants — it wasn’t pretty. And as the oldest son and trail blazer for my younger brothers, I pretty much rebelled against any sense of work or leisure fashion he might have worn. I can only recall them as ‘short-sleeve shirts with a crappy tie’ uniforms of the middle-class in the latter 1960s, the status quo, for which I had no appetite.
It got worse as I grew into adulthood and became a card carrying member of the Woodstock Generation. You see, long hair had entered the scene and my dad’s intolerance for it only made me grow it longer. My attitude became increasingly combative; and my style more radical. All of my ‘Swellesley’ preppie-wear tendencies fell by the wayside in favor of the more outrageous tie-dye influenced styles found in counter-culture boutiques.
Read more on Deflector, the Art of Style & Well-Being for Men of Age, A TMSC publication hosted at Medium.com/Deflector
How My 70th Summer Came To Be MySecond Summer of Love
Vol 2, №2 – Deflector™ is a business unit of Thomas Marketing Services Corporation
I would never have believed it. I mean, when you hit age 70 the expectation is your life gets VERY boring, you eat your supper at 4, and you become intimate friends with Pat & Vanna, yelling at the TV when one of the contestants makes a bone-head guess at an obvious puzzle solution.
No, I would have never guessed the notoriety and off-the-hook love and acceptance I got from concert goers and staff this past summer as I made full use of the season pass to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA my three 20-something sons gave me for my 70th birthday to go to over 30 shows.
My pals at the Grab N’ Go at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA
Though I’ll did have a plan and a rough premise, my Deflector Postulate, to actively research. Because the last thing I wanted was to be treated my age. You see, all my life being a fully responsible adult, provider and parent has been my goal. But to make an obtuse reference to a The Byrds tune I heard them sing it at the old Boston Tea Party venue, with my sons out on their own, I’m younger than that now.
And as the musician John Mayer once suggested, we make things happen for ourselves. It starts with deciding what’s important to you.
Tom Lanen (aka: me, the guy on the right in the chill Maui Jim’s tailgating with new pals before a concert early summer 2022), the principal of Thomas Marketing Services Corporation, is a man on a mission. You see, at age 70 I’ve seen and experienced the overt trappings of agism in every aspect of my life, personal to professional. It happens daily. And it is ugly.
Here’s the thing: the isn’t a chance in the world that agism can be wiped out. But, and it’s a big one, it can be mitigated in large part, with just a little mindful effort. How? Try adding just a little style to your daily regime.
A couple years ago I starting devising what I call The Deflector™ Postulate. Simply stated, as older adults there’s nothing we can do about the effects of aging on our bodies; but we can defect the attention from our wrinkles by adding just one or two style elements to our wardrobes.
I’m determined: I never want to be that old fuck that gets out of his car at Target, polo shirt tucked into his cargo shorts, tube socks up to his knees, old man style kicks and a $12 haircut. Yeah, we get it: your wife dressed you. But dude, you’re perpetuating the senior stereotype. And it just infuriates me.
The Art of Style & Well-Being for Men of Age™
Deflector, a business unit of TMSC hosted at Medium.com, is all about mitigating the aspects of agism that confine or restrict the opportunities available to men of age, from employment to fun. And of course, agism is prejudice so ingrained in us all (including me) that it will never be eliminated in our daily lives; and I’ve found any attempts to do so are just a waste of good energy.
My rebooted publication about well-being, style and quality of life for men of age … and those who love them.
Rather than fight agism, I’ve chosen to coexist with it. It’s actually a remarkably simple thing to do. Inside of railing against the travails of agism, I’ve begun to expend my energy on a little bit of contemporary fashion style, one of my life-long interests, that makes me happy. Because it’s just no fun being an angry old man; I’ve tried it now and again and it always sucks – for everybody.
I call my sense of style “David Bowie Conservative.” An oxymoron you say? Not at all. Just an ideal in my head that mixes some classic style elements, such a plain baggy linen pants with at least one or two accents points I buy that are a little louder than my fashion style might suggest … but in context are just right. More on this in a future story.
Where to start? Well, consider this: when you meet somebody they look at your Face, Feet/Shoes and your hands – in that order. So OK, you have some sun damage on your face – so what’s next? Your kicks (shoes for you old timers). Wear a pair of beat-up boat shoes or sneakers and “old” is the immediate emotion and classification..
But wear a pair of red Nike high-tops or even the classic Chuck Taylor Converse white hi-top sneakers – making sure the soles are bright white like new (Mr Clean Magic Sponges are miracle kick cleaners) – and your presence, and your image is completely different, both with those seeing you and within your own self-view.
I might not have ever guessed this until I starting making cool kicks part of my fashion protocol, but almost immediately I started getting the comment, ‘nice kicks man,’ from young folks I’m certain would have otherwise ignored me. It made me feel good, adding a satisfying level of contentment to my otherwise charmed life.
Of course many older adults will proclaim they don’t need or want the attention of younger people, to which I can only reply: you’re losing out on a lot of the joy young people can bring to your life. I was lucky: I had my kids late in life – my first at 40 and twins at 45 – and I get a daily dose of youthful exuberance from my 20-something sons that gladdens my heart. It’s not to be missed.
You Don’t Wear Out, You Rust Out
My dad used to say: you don’t wear out, you rust out. It’s just so true; as I look at some of my more sedentary peers, such as those content with sitting at a recent Earth Wind & Fire and Santana concert, they generally look like shit. Plus they miss a big part of the joy music offers.
But what to do if you are adverse to gym routines, yoga or pilates or whatever exercise happens to be all the rage? For me, it’s back deck, “sports corner” (where I have my big sound system) or standing desk dancing. Not that I can dance, but as an erstwhile dummer I do have rhythm. And I have one of those bodies that can’t not move when it hears the chants of today’s music.
My dad used to say “you don’t wear out, you rust out.” It’s so true.
One of Deflector’s feature columns is called Rustbuckets™, Meditation & Moving for Guys Who Hate The Gym.In no way is Rustbuckets a place to come to learn to dance. What it is a destination, a focal point, to work out your day-to-day crazinesses in an environment of joy.
No, your web camera is not on and I couldn’t care, even a little, how you dance or if you’re wearing yoga pants with a beat-up top. I just care you dance, however you dance. And our musical selections may even introduce you to some great tunes & musical genres you might not otherwise have found.
Though there’s also a good argument for walking too. And there’re many other ways to keep active; the key is to pick one you love and to do it with consistency.
It works. In fact, I’ve dropped almost 35 pounds from my Covid weight with some daily dancing and a little better attention to what and how much I eat, which is another Rustbucket topic we’ll touch upon. Too, a legit study reported in 2022 that when young boys see their dads dancing, they grow up to be less aggressive towards women or the LGBTQ+ community. So the benefits go beyond our immediate universe.
So check it out, and if you’re so inclined, subscribe to the feed. But only if you want to have some fun in your older adult years.
With the right attitude, anything is possible, even for older adults. I tell you, the love I received this summer at a concert venue to which my 20-something sons gave ol’ dad a season pass for his 70th birthday has been off the hooks. I’m now verging on concert 30 of the summer and living my best life. And you know, when a stylish 20-something woman yelled out “dude, you look f-ing awesome” replete with the modifying f-bomb at a recent Suicide Boys show, well, that’s exactly how I felt. I tell you, it was f-ing wonderful.
Results speak for themselves, in this case our last two emails with 43% and 46.3% Open Rates for New England Hydroponics. Category Open Rate Average is 17%. On September 1, the new owner takes marketing in house.
I’ll miss working on the business, specifically the people, several of whom have become lifetime friends. It’s been good fun, and I wish them all the best. And I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the brand we built over the 5 years we worked with its owner, and the many stakeholders. But it’s onto what’s next (see text below graphic).
Permission eMail Open Rate Over 40% on-2 Variations by Tom Lanen Thomas Marketing Services ThomasBoston.com
Are you ready for results like these? Call me, Tom Lanen, at (508) 951-0130 and let’s talk action points on my nickel. Let’s see what kind of end game we can devise; it’s closer than you think! T-
