Anaheim-based home goods buying merchandising group Associated Volume Buyers plans to make the most of its sponsorship of a National Hot Rod Association team later this year.
AVB sponsors the John Force Racing team on the NHRA circuit, and it plans to tie that deal in with a recent sweepstakes for a 2013 Ford Fiesta.
The giveaway drew more than 150,000 entries from shoppers at AVB-owned BrandSource stores and various other independent retailers affiliated with the company—a roster that includes 4,500 independent appliance, electronics, mattress, floor coverings, and other home-related item retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
The entries to win the Ford Fiesta also were publicized on Facebook, Twitter, the company’s website at brandsource.com, and castrolcrew.com. (Castrol Oil also sponsors the John Force racing team.)
BrandSource plans to bring the winner of the Ford Fiesta on stage to join John Force during the prerace ceremony at the Houston NHRA race in April, according to Chief Executive Bob Lawrence.
Another sweepstakes—again with a Ford Fiesta as the prize—is expected to begin later this month.
AVB offers members the chance for increased buying clout based on collective volume. It also offers advertising, financing and other services. The company has 30 employees at its Orange County headquarters.
Its affiliated retailers bring in about $14 billion in annual sales volume, said Lawrence, who declined to disclose revenue or earnings for AVB.
Agency Anniversary
Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communications marked its 25th anniversary by issuing a list of the 25 ways it pledges to give back to its community in 2013.
The list was compiled by agency employees, and ranges from planting 25 trees to the adoption of 25 local families during the holidays to the creation of a five-year $2,500 annual scholarship for an advertising student at California State University, Fullerton.
DGWB plans to use its Facebook profile along with an anniversary tab on its website to keep track of progress on meeting its pledges throughout the year.
DGWB’s client roster includes Dole Fresh Fruit, KFC and many others.
The agency’s 2011 OC capitalized billings were $74 million. It has 60 employees in OC.
Register Brand Campaign
The Orange County Register has launched a new brand campaign that’s been tailored to sections of the newspaper with the overarching tagline of “We Are Here in the Service of Orange County.”
The tagline “communicates to Register subscribers, business partners and employees the integral role that a newspaper can play in improving the lives of people and businesses in Orange County,” said Eric Morgan, a spokesperson for the Register.
The newspaper, owned by Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc., has drawn the attention of the industry as it employs a “subscriber-first strategy” under the direction of new owner and Publisher Aaron Kushner.
Kushner’s Boston-based 2100 Trust bought Freedom in July and reversed a recent trend of cutbacks by hiring dozens of journalists.
The “We Are Here…” tagline will be tied to different sections for various initiatives. For example, the Register will introduce a “We Are Here to Keep Score” message as part of a larger effort to highlight its OC Varsity sports section, according to Morgan.
The Register plans to roll out the campaign through mobile and social media campaigns as well as radio, Morgan said.
The Register has about 1,000 employees at its Santa Ana headquarters.
Social Strategies
n Huntington Beach-based clothing retailer Quiksilver Inc.’s Roxy women’s division promoted a Pin It to Win It contest through Pinterest, asking customers to re-pin images from Roxy’s outdoor fitness line for a chance to win $1,000 cash and $1,000 worth of Roxy outdoor clothing and gear.
n Newport Beach-based Christophe Salon hosted a hair show to showcase OC’s top hairstylists. The salon featured the top six semifinalists on its Facebook page, where Facebook users were able to vote for their favorite hairstylist.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine-based advertising agency Brandtailers has hired Dane Larsen as creative director. … Web design and marketing firm Giga Savvy, which is based in Irvine, created new websites for Joico, Nicklaus Academies and Gfore. … Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC added restaurant Blaze Pizza LLC of Irvine as a client and promoted Joshua Levitt to account manager.
