Non-standard Seventh Stepping Venues

[The Log]

I've been harping on the fact that we tend to concentrate on putting trifold stands and posters in places we suspect will be friendly to our advances - gun stores, clubs, etc. But like I say, the number of people that go through a gun store every day is probably a lot lower than the number of eyeballs that pass through a Cumberland Farms. Granted, it's a lot harder to make that "cold call" to a place that's not obviously gun-friendly. But, if we want to reach every American, we need to get our message out to every Americans' eyeballs, and that means trying new kinds of venues.

With that in mind, I've been trying to come up with other venues for our advertising media. I had a small success this week with a target of opportunity. I took the kids out for ice cream to a place in Goshen called Nellie's. They recently expanded to morning coffee offerings and a lunch menu, and since they're the only show in town, they get a lot of traffic. After I bought the ice cream, I whipped out a trifold - I always keep a stack in my truck - and asked the owner if he'd mind putting some out. He seemed curious, asked a lot of questions, got very enthusiastic, and I Seventh Stepped him for about 5 minutes. When I was done he agreed to take a stack, and said, "Gee, too bad you don't have a poster. I'd advertise something like this." I promised to returned with the Mona Lisa and a trifold stand, but I left a stack of 10-15 trifolds and thanked him for the help.

That was Thursday. I didn't get back on Friday like I planned, so I took Patty out Saturday night with the poster and more trifolds. The owner wasn't in the shop, but I explained that I had material he asked me to post, and the employees said I could drop it off. Funny thing was, none of the original stack of trifolds could be found! The pessimist in me says he was snowing me with all his enthusiasm and trashed the trifolds, but he'd have to be a heck of an actor to pull that off. So hopefully there are 10-15 new people in Goshen who know about Appleseed now. I posted the trifold stand (with my AS business card attached) and left the Mona Lisa on the counter. I'm going to stop by during the week to see if he still has it posted.

Hopefully I'm onto something here. Other ideas I have are my tractor dealer in Litchfield, the tire store I do business with, the local seed and feed, etc. I'm also going to be working on the other coaches on Tom's Little League team as the season drags on - one of them is a Scout leader too, and has teenaged sons, so I think I've got a hot prospect there.

Anyone else have any "non-gun-culture" venues they've had success with?

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[vernic82]

Usually supermarkets, local diners and other retail locations have a "community board" where you can put cards, flyers, etc.

I post them at all these kinda places that I come across.

You don't have to ask to post in these places either.

[The Log]

Just asked my wife to post a blurb on one of her CT Homeschooling mailing lists. I got a lot of responses last time I posted there - for the BTR shoot, I think. Not sure how many of my hits turned into shooters, but it's worth another shot. I tailored my blurb toward the upcoming one-day shoots, since they are both empty at this point.

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[The Log]

I'm going to try getting some booth space at the upcoming Goshen Stampede. I went to this once with the kids some years back, and it's basically a big carnival with a rodeo, truck pull and demo derby added on. Lots of good, red-blooded American fun. It's become a big draw up here lately, and might be good exposure for us. I'm trying to make contact - I'll post progress.

06/21 update: no go - it was $250 for the booth, and Fred wanted a full staffing guarantee before writing the check. If I had gotten an earlier start, we might have gotten the booth donated, or at least discounted. Grrrr...... Better luck next year.

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[The Log]

Our good friend Chuckwagon at NWCSA is running a Junior Marksmanship Program again this year at the club. It's on Thursday nights from 5:30 till dark, for kids 10-16, and it's a basic introduction to safe rifle handling. I'm planning on stopping by with plenty of trifolds to see if I can drum up some business. The key is that the parents are required to stay - it's not a drop-off thing. So I'll have access to the decision makers, as it were. I'll post results.

Results:
First night - rain
Second night - rain

[TOMINCT]

 Chuckwagon has been doing this for quite a while. I think a mini could be worked in, if not on a Jr. night then on a saturday afternoon. I did one last year and got a few guys to sign up for a regular Appleseed since then.

[The Log]

Has anyone ever tried getting trifolds into a military recruiting office? I was just outside one today when the idea hit me. Seems like a win-win - we get exposure, they get the chance to get kids to try out shooting. Plus, we could end up with active duty officers (and their families) on the line.

Just wondering if anyone has tried, or if anyone knows of any restrictions on advertising for non-military entities in recruiting stations.

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[Col Barrett]

Not to intrude on another state's board, but I believe we have some retired USMC IIT's in the state of GA who have done this. Got a lot of positive feedback, but I don't know how many shooters have actually attended.

[colycat]

This is a must do.  LaCrosse WI had several poolies participate this past weekend, including a gal who completed Boot camp and wasn't able to qual.  I think she was sent to the AS by the recruiter.

Has anyone ever tried getting trifolds into a military recruiting office? I was just outside one today when the idea hit me. Seems like a win-win - we get exposure, they get the chance to get kids to try out shooting. Plus, we could end up with active duty officers (and their families) on the line.

Just wondering if anyone has tried, or if anyone knows of any restrictions on advertising for non-military entities in recruiting stations.

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[professor gun]

This is a must do.  LaCrosse WI had several poolies participate this past weekend, including a gal who completed Boot camp and wasn't able to qual.  I think she was sent to the AS by the recruiter.

Has anyone ever tried getting trifolds into a military recruiting office? I was just outside one today when the idea hit me. Seems like a win-win - we get exposure, they get the chance to get kids to try out shooting. Plus, we could end up with active duty officers (and their families) on the line.

Just wondering if anyone has tried, or if anyone knows of any restrictions on advertising for non-military entities in recruiting stations.

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Colycat is correct.  By my count we had 5 Marine Corps poolees and one young man who is entering the Air Force at our Appleseed this weekend at La Crosse Rifle Club near La Crosse,WI.
I publicized this to our local USMC recruiter, discovered most of the young men and women who have signed up do not own rifles.  I approached our rifle club membership with a request for loaner rifles and donations of ammo, I ended up with 7 loaner AR-15 rifles and enough ammo to support 7 poolees on the AR-15s for the two day Appleseed.  I also got 4 loaner Ruger 10/22 rifles with enough ammo donated by club members to support four shooters for the entire weekend.  Our rifle club decided to waive our range fee for these young men and women as well.  Members also have donated shooting mats and shooting jackets (we have a large contingent of high power rifle shooters in the group) for use of the poolees.  I was also advised by members that if we had enough equipment to cover the young folks going into our military the extra was to be used for junior shooters.
Also, I decided that if I could get one of the recruiters to an Appleseed we would in the future end up with more poolees attending, so I offered them the use of my M1A and told them I would supply their ammo for the weekend (free ammo and use of an M1A  makes the Sergeants of Marines begin to drool  ) but they had to attend a Marine recruiting function this last weekend so were not available.  I will make the same offer for our next Appleseed.  We will also drum up a Garand and ammo if one of the Sergeants would like to shoot that.
One Marine poolee attending this weekend achieved Rifleman, so word will spread quickly down at the Marine recruiting station here of the value of Appleseed.

[The Log]

Outstanding! I'll hit the recruiting station tomorrow and see what comes of it. And no worries about border raiding - I just floated this here before posting on a more national forum. One big happy Appleseed family here 

One question: poolees? Please to define.

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[professor gun]

Hey Log,
A Marine Corps poolee is someone who has signed up, gone through the physical and mental testing, been sworn in, but has not yet gone to boot camp.  While in boot camp you are a boot.  You are not really a Marine until you successfully complete boot camp.  My 17 year old son is a Marine poolee on the delayed entry program; the Marines will not take you until you have a high school diploma so he will ship out to boot camp next July.
Semper Fi!

[The Log]

Semper Fi indeed, and thanks for the info. And thank you for raising a son like that! We appreciate your family's contribution to our safety.

I'm going to stop by the recruiting station a little later today with some trifolds and a brochure rack. Hope they don't think I'm there to enlist - too late for the dumpy old guy with gray hair.

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[The Log]

I had a good talk with one of the recruiters this morning, and there's now a stack of trifolds in the office. I offered a shoot to anyone in the office, and they seemed interested - they wanted a stack of my business cards to hand out with the trifolds.

We'll see what happens with this. IIRC, there's a National Guard recruiting office downtown as well. Might be worth stopping by there as well. I feel like I might be onto something here.

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