In Celebration of Sweets
December 26, 2012
Cathy Cain-Blank of CC Marketing creates email newsletters for promotional products distributors and other small/midsize companies. She is a periodic contributor to the Maple Ridge Farms blog.
One of my all-time favorite films is the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I was 9 years old when it was released. I was so mesmerized during the 100-minute story I never even opened the box of Raisinets on my lap. For months after seeing the film I fantasized about owning a chocolate factory, bathing in the sweet, creamy concoction daily (sorry if this sounds gross), and eating as much of it as I wanted every day.
In 1998 at the PPAI Show in Dallas, about four weeks after I started working for an industry supplier, I was introduced to Maple Ridge Farms. It was early afternoon during the first show day and I was in our booth pestering my coworkers for chocolate. One of our supplier reps said, “No problem. I’ll be right back.” A few minutes later he returned with samples of toffee and chocolate-covered almonds. As I munched I thought, “I wonder if they’d let me visit their factory!”
A few years ago my husband gave me a book for Christmas that will be a prized possession forever. Candy Freak is the story of how author Steve Almond (yes, that’s his real name) embarked on a journey to find many of his favorite childhood candies. In the process he visited more than a dozen independent candy producers throughout the country. He had the awesome privilege of watching the candy manufacturing process up close. He observed what I’ve only dreamed about: nuts pouring down a chute; brown rivers of caramel flowing into a hopper; and industrial-size mixers whipping up batches of nougat. In his book Steve also shared laugh-out-loud tales of his lifelong candy obsession. For the first time I realized that I wasn’t the only kid who wrestled with rationing Halloween candy each year! (In truth, I never wrestled more than a few days. The moment my mother discovered I was scarfing down M&Ms, Baby Ruths, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in secret, hiding the wrappers in my desk drawers, my stash was thrown in the trash.)
I love the colors, spirit, and energy of the holiday season. I especially like seeing sweets everywhere -- in bowls, towers, baskets, ribbon-wrapped packages, you name it. I notice them in offices, at the dry-cleaners, in my hairstylist’s workstation, even at my health club. And I get very excited when my husband brings home the tray of goodies his insurance agent gives him each year. But nothing tops what happened last year at this time.
A few days before Christmas UPS delivered a box to my office. There wasn’t a vendor identified on the package, but I noticed the Mosinee shipping address. I assumed it contained sales literature for brainstorming future blog posts. But inside the outer box was a beautifully-wrapped package with a card from our key vendor. Inside the beautifully-wrapped package were brownies from Maple Ridge Farms. I couldn’t have been more excited!
As I savored my first brownie, I silently cheered the distributor who introduced our vendor to Maple Ridge Farms, knowing that I was one of a select group of their customers around the country who received this memorable holiday gift.
The next time one of your clients or prospects is skeptical about the impact of food gifts, feel free to share this story. After all, here I am still telling it one year later.
One of my all-time favorite films is the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I was 9 years old when it was released. I was so mesmerized during the 100-minute story I never even opened the box of Raisinets on my lap. For months after seeing the film I fantasized about owning a chocolate factory, bathing in the sweet, creamy concoction daily (sorry if this sounds gross), and eating as much of it as I wanted every day.
In 1998 at the PPAI Show in Dallas, about four weeks after I started working for an industry supplier, I was introduced to Maple Ridge Farms. It was early afternoon during the first show day and I was in our booth pestering my coworkers for chocolate. One of our supplier reps said, “No problem. I’ll be right back.” A few minutes later he returned with samples of toffee and chocolate-covered almonds. As I munched I thought, “I wonder if they’d let me visit their factory!”
A few years ago my husband gave me a book for Christmas that will be a prized possession forever. Candy Freak is the story of how author Steve Almond (yes, that’s his real name) embarked on a journey to find many of his favorite childhood candies. In the process he visited more than a dozen independent candy producers throughout the country. He had the awesome privilege of watching the candy manufacturing process up close. He observed what I’ve only dreamed about: nuts pouring down a chute; brown rivers of caramel flowing into a hopper; and industrial-size mixers whipping up batches of nougat. In his book Steve also shared laugh-out-loud tales of his lifelong candy obsession. For the first time I realized that I wasn’t the only kid who wrestled with rationing Halloween candy each year! (In truth, I never wrestled more than a few days. The moment my mother discovered I was scarfing down M&Ms, Baby Ruths, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in secret, hiding the wrappers in my desk drawers, my stash was thrown in the trash.)
I love the colors, spirit, and energy of the holiday season. I especially like seeing sweets everywhere -- in bowls, towers, baskets, ribbon-wrapped packages, you name it. I notice them in offices, at the dry-cleaners, in my hairstylist’s workstation, even at my health club. And I get very excited when my husband brings home the tray of goodies his insurance agent gives him each year. But nothing tops what happened last year at this time.
A few days before Christmas UPS delivered a box to my office. There wasn’t a vendor identified on the package, but I noticed the Mosinee shipping address. I assumed it contained sales literature for brainstorming future blog posts. But inside the outer box was a beautifully-wrapped package with a card from our key vendor. Inside the beautifully-wrapped package were brownies from Maple Ridge Farms. I couldn’t have been more excited!
As I savored my first brownie, I silently cheered the distributor who introduced our vendor to Maple Ridge Farms, knowing that I was one of a select group of their customers around the country who received this memorable holiday gift.
The next time one of your clients or prospects is skeptical about the impact of food gifts, feel free to share this story. After all, here I am still telling it one year later.
