• Back when “Oprah” was the biggest show on television, KFC ran an ad offering a free two-piece chicken meal with two sides and a biscuit for anyone who went to their website and downloaded a coupon. Over 10.5 million coupons were downloaded, and KFC had to give away $42 million in free food. • In the 1990s, Hoover Company in the United Kingdom offered two round-trip plane tickets with the purchase of a vacuum. Unfortunately, even in the ‘90s, most vacuums were still cheaper than plane tickets, and Hoover lost 50 million pounds in what remains the biggest promotional disaster ever. CARTOON NETWORK CAUSES A BOMB SCARE Guerrilla marketing can create valuable word of mouth — think about the success of the movie “IT” last year. The marketing for the film included simple red balloons tied to storm drains. But Cartoon Network didn’t have quite the same luck in 2007 when they tried to promote their show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” When the network put electronic devices featuring a character from the show all over Boston, city residents thought the strange contraptions looked like bombs and called the police. This triggered a terrorist scare that ultimately cost the general manager of Cartoon Network his job.
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
CROSSFIT 313’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Keeping with the theme of building meaningful relationships, we wanted to spotlight a new O2 retailer this month that excels at making their members feel like part of the family. CrossFit 313 got started a little over a year and a half ago in Burleson, Texas, but you couldn’t tell by looking at their numbers. Although it’s still early in the game, they’re already running out of room and looking to expand. According to CrossFit 313’s co-owner and head coach Ashley Thompson, their success lies in treating members right. “What sets 313 apart is that we’re very family- and community- oriented,” Ashley explains, “We get to know people and build friendships.” When asked how an owner can encourage that kind of relationship building, the CFL-2 coach’s advice was straightforward: “Get personal!” Sometimes this is as simple as asking members about their hobbies and interests outside of CrossFit. “As affiliate owners and coaches, it can be easy to forget that CrossFit isn’t everyone’s whole world,” says Ashley. “Learn more about your members than just their fitness goals.” Between Team WOD Saturdays and kid-friendly socials, 313’s members are given ample opportunity to rub elbows with coaches and foster meaningful bonds. This is something the founders of CrossFit 313 are very familiar with. Ashley and her husband, Clint, met at a CrossFit gym where Clint was a coach. They were engaged in November 2016 and founded their box two months later. “Clint was still doing police work while we revamped our garage into a gym,” Ashley remembers. Between Clint’s background in military service and Ashley’s business degree, the husband-and-wife duo makes quite the team. “Clint’s more of the ‘have fun, go coach’ kind of guy, while administration is my wheelhouse.” Ashley and Clint have certainly built a box they can be proud of. One thing we can say is that they are absolutely crushing it with O2 sales. When asked how such a new gym can do so well at the retail game, Ashley’s answer is, of course, all about the coach- member relationships. “People look at what you’re eating and drinking. All of our coaches use our retail products. Our members make the connection.”
This recipe combines pumpkin seeds, a seasonal favorite, with cashews, sunflower seeds, and spices. It’s a perfect homemade snack for the fall. SPICED PUMPKIN SEED CRUNCH
INGREDIENTS
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1 large egg white
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1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
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1 teaspoon light agave syrup
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1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
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1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated. 4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
Great advice, Ashley!
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