CountryMax Holiday Gift Guide
Thirty eight years in the retail business and CountryMax had never done a holiday gift guide. That changed when we created the first gift guide in 2021 showcasing key products in several of our biggest categories. As a pet, home and garden store, CountryMax may not be an obvious choice for holiday gift-buying. Our goal was to change that! Now in its fourth year, the CountryMax guide is driving shoppers to the stores every December (a typically slow time).
Designed like a traditional catalog, printed for mailing and in-store distributions — and showcased on the website — this gift guide uses original photography and holiday marketing messages to give users gift-giving ideas rather than price-driven offers.
First-Year Results
More than 2,200 visits/views
977 updated customers records
338 new customer records
At least one product showcased in the guide sold out on the first day
Sales of “gift and food items” from our lodge area were up 57% YOY during the holidays
CountryMax Canning Guide
During the pandemic, America’s interest in traditional gardening and preserving took off. Suddenly people were digging out their grandmother’s recipes, notes and canning jars. CountryMax has always catered to homesteaders and the DIY crowd.
So we created a printed canning guide filled with interesting history, facts and scientific information about the multiple ways to can. The CountryMax canning guide is an eye-catching print piece filled with colorful photographs, hand-drawn illustrations and valuable canning information. In a world gone digital, the traditional paper-based guide feels valuable. And the content is useful for beginners and experienced canning customers alike.
Results
2.5% coupon redemption rate in stores
Multiple positive comments and thank yous from the canning community
Sold out of several types of canning supplies
CountryMax Backyard Birding Guide
Designed to encourage families to share the wonder of backyard birding together, this guide is filled with kid-friendly interactive activities and fun facts. An instant hit with young birders, it quickly became popular in classrooms, science centers, 4H and scouting groups.
The book was released and mailed to homes in late January, just in time for February, which i National Bird Feeding month. In addition to multiple QR codes throughout the book, there’s also a augmented reality experience, where users can trigger a hummingbird to zip around the page, the room or even a friend’s head!
Results
With a 6% response rate to the coupons, plus hundreds of request for extra copies from school and scout troops, this beginner’s guide to backyard birding was a big hit with the target audience of young families.
Initial magazine, featuring cover story penned by Fast Company co-founder Bill Taylor, and edited by yours truly.
Chief Optimist Magazine and Website
This one goes back a few years. It launched when content marketing was just becoming a “thing.” Created to help Xerox establish higher-level conversations with CTOs, COOs, and CEOs, it’s credited with driving nearly $5 million in incremental contracts.
A true thought leadership initiative, content covered cyber security, cloud computing, change management, machine learning, and more.
Results
The interviews were techy and fun. The topics with timely. Lots of original content plus some purchased through Forbes. The strategy was subtle. The selling was soft. Yet the results — 5 million in pipeline — were remarkable.