Unpredictable
The shelves are bare. The water bottles are gone. I had planned on writing this newsletter from an underground bunker, deep within an unincorporated part of Chesterfield County. Instead, we have drizzle and gentle Southwesterly breeze… and more canned food, bread, and milk than one family should be allowed to hoard.
Florence, the storm of the century, was a bit unpredictable this week, but with all of the doom and gloom coverage, the rest of us were very predictable. We read the hype and we panicked.
I’ve been through many big events in my life; riots, floods, earthquakes, and locusts (long story). The future is unpredictable, and as much as we study, analyze, and fret over a weather event, it’s usually best to be prepared for whatever comes your way. Freaking out, raiding the Food Lion, and spending half your paycheck on canned goods at the last minute is not a good strategy.
Although Flo is wreaking havoc down south — and we hope the damage is not too severe — it was a bust in the Old Dominion. But use this time as a lesson. Make a plan, prepare now for the next big thing, and be proactive about it. That will set you up for future success… or you can be reactive like the masses.
Speaking of being proactive… how’s your 2019 Marketing Plan coming along?
Monday, Sept. 10 – Main-iacs ISO Main-iac
Madison+Main is officially on the hunt for a new Main-iac! If you want to be a part of our amazing team, we are looking for a new Account Manager to join our #squad. If you’re interested, send us your resume!
Our client DRIVE SMART Virginia kicked off Hokie football in a big way last weekend in Blacksburg. Their program “What’s Your Game Plan?” was a big hit among the Virginia Tech faithful, reminding students, fans, and alumni to choose a sober driver and buckle up. It looks like VP of Brand Strategy Kara Forbis had a great time with Executive Director Janet Brooking and the rest of the DRIVE SMART Squad.
On Monday afternoon, Account Executive Haleigh Lader and I were back in the studio with first district Congressman Rob “One Take” Wittman to record a couple of radio spots for his re-election campaign. It was good seeing the BES Studios crew and Campaign Manager Stacy Whitehouse. On a side note, Rob is one of the nicest, most genuine people I’ve met. After a few years of working with him, I sometimes let the formalities slip, and on Monday I told him “Way to go, dude,” before I corrected myself and said “way to go, congressman”. #oops
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – For A Good Time, Falls
On Tuesday afternoon, Senior Account Manager Kaitlin “Ready to Pop” Riddle and Haleigh met with Maryann Hartzell from CowanGates to introduce Haleigh, who will be taking over the account while Kaitlin is on diaper duty (also known as maternity leave). The countdown is on until Kaitlin’s baby arrives so we are making sure all of her clients will have the best support while she is away. Kaitlin was pretty excited about the pasta at La Cucina too!
We finalized some pretty cool marketing pieces for our friends at the Virginia Energy Sense Program. Be on the lookout for these folks at the Falls Church Festival tomorrow from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.. There will be food, drinks, and best of all, Alliance Group will be manning the VES booth to share energy-saving tips and swag. Swing by and tell them the Main-iacs sent you!
We’re counting down to race weekend at Richmond Raceway and we put the finishing touches on this new promotional video for “Who’s Your Driver”. Special thanks to Mitchell Bradley who always does a great job for us. Check it out!
Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Back to School
On Wednesday morning, Haleigh and I hit the road together again and headed down to Hearth & Home Shoppe‘s Showroom in Mechanicsville. With the help of our friends at BES Studios, we were able to get some great footage for their upcoming commercial. Nothing says fall like a crackling fire, so head down to see them and we promise, you’ll be sipping a pumpkin spice latte in front of your new and improved fireplace in no time. #basic
At Madison+Main, we believe that the kids aren’t the only ones that should go back to school. This is why on Wednesday afternoon we hosted company Lunch + Learn about all things website. We all chowed down on our Chipotle while Creative Director Art Webb lead the discussion with the help of Kaitlin’s fabulous notes. So, if you are having any website woes, don’t worry. The Madison+Main-iacs know how to take care of you!
Thursday, Sept. 13 – P-Art-y like it’s Your Birthday
On Thursday, Art Webb celebrated turning 48 years old (again) by taking a much-deserved day off. It was a day filled with gluten-free baked goods, Chick-fil-A milkshakes, and quality time with his lovely wife Linda and daughter Carmella.
Back at the shop, copywriting and PR intern Lucky Haile hit up Carytown to give out complimentary tickets to the Richmond Home Show. Want to go to the show? Email Kent and he’ll hook you up.
Friday, Sept. 14 – No Mo’ Flo
Well, today is the day that I learned that I should never leave my phone on a colleague’s desk. When I got back to the office I had more than 40 fabulous selfies from various Madison+Main-iacs. For your viewing pleasure, here are a few of my personal favorites:
Since it looks like we’ll have power all weekend, here’s a pro tip: use all of that extra bread and milk to make some French toast as an offering to Flo to thank her for sparing us here in RVA. The only question left is what to do with all of the hurricane beer I bought… #BottomsUp