Ad2, was contracted to create the campaign for Coast Electric’s annual meeting. The challenge was that a specific number of responses are required by their bylaws- failure is not an option. I am happy to say we not only met the challenge but exceeded the goals and expectations.

The following comment from Melissa Bryant says it all, (except, that they are a pleasure to work with – making all of our jobs easier.)

On behalf of Ron and I, we wanted to personally thank you again for such a great job with our proxy mailer this year! We really feel like the new design is one of the attributing factors to the success of this year’s mail return. Not only have we exceeded the amount that we needed for quorum, but this is probably one of the most successful years on record. So again THANK YOU! We look forward to working with you again soon.

Melissa L. Bryant

I remember reading about the children of Israel who turned from God

time and time again, only to realize their mistake and pray for

forgiveness. Each time, God would forgive them and they would walk

with him for a time. So, I am going to ask you to join me in praying

for our nation every day. Please read the email below. God is in

control.

May God Have Mercy On America ; Protect Our Troops

When I was in Atlanta last week, there were signs in people’s yards

that said, ” America , prayer is our only hope” – with 2 Chronicles

7:14 underneath..  We certainly need God’s help!

I have no idea who started  this, but I certainly agree with this

e-mail. I heard a preacher on TV tonight who said if we pray for our

nation things will turn around.

After a day of contemplation and soul searching, I have decided to

reach out to my friends and relatives and ask you to do something

that has been troubling me for a long time.

Our nation is/has been on the slippery slope for a long time. If you

look around you will find corruption, greed, moral decay, and a

steady move away from the things that made us great. The principles

upon which this nation was founded are no longer our backbone.

However, we can reverse this trend.

2 Chronicles. 7:14 in God’s Word, He states,

“If my people who are called by my name

will humble themselves  and pray

and seek my face and turn from their

wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven

and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I am convinced that we must pray for our nation and its leaders and

ask for forgiveness. So I ask you to join me in this plea to our Lord.

Would you please send this to people in your address book?  Ask them to pray EVERY DAY.  (25 to the 5th power is 9,765,625 people.)

IMAGINE if each person reaches TEN others… Or all TWENTY FIVE!

If you do and they comply, we will lift up millions and millions of

prayers each day to our Creator. He will hear us, and in faith will

answer.

Here’s a quote from  Ronald Reagan:

“If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be

a nation gone under..”

I truly believe this is why the United States of America is in the

shape it’s in today.

Most people have forgotten that we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD!  Let us as Christians stand up and remind people of this.

More than 2 Acres on Adams Lake in Lake Village at Winddance

Reposted from AdAge.com

Published: November 18, 2010 NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — The War on Christmas may be in its final days.

This season, merry Christmas — not happy holidays or season’s greetings — will dominate retailer’s marketing messages. There will be Christmas sales and Christmas trees and Christmas carols galore. That has the American Family Association, arguably one of the loudest voices advocating the use of Christmas in retailer’s marketing messages over the past few years, predicting that its crusade could conclude in the next year or two.

Randy Sharp, director-special projects at the AFA, said that in the past five years the group has seen the percentage of retailers recognizing Christmas in their advertising rise from 20% to 80%. Just eight retailers are left on the group’s list of “Companies Against Christmas.”

It’s also become more challenging to find a large, national retailer to single out for the group’s annual boycott. This year, Dick’s Sporting Goods, which boasts an online “Holiday Shop,” will be the target of the boycott. The AFA is expected to send an Action Alert to its 2.3 million supporters on Friday morning. That alert will urge shoppers to boycott Dick’s between now and Dec. 25. It also calls for consumers to email President-Chief Operating Officer Joseph Schmidt and then call Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Hennion. The retailer declined to comment. In the past, Target, Sears, Gap Inc. and Walmart have been targets.

“We’ve had a complete flip,” Mr. Sharp says. “The politically correct holiday verbiage is going away. Companies are getting the message.”

Indeed, retailers that have found themselves the target of boycotts or media and consumer scrutiny have responded swiftly in recent years. Lowe’s “Family Trees” were renamed “Christmas Trees,” while Walmart’s “Holiday Shop” is now a “Christmas Shop.” Midway through the 2005 holiday season, Target, facing a boycott, announced its advertising messages would become more specific and include references to Christmas. And last year, Gap Inc. responded to a boycott by issuing a press release highlighting the use of the phrase “Merry Christmas” in its upcoming Old Navy ads.

Mr. Sharp stopped short of saying that he was surprised by how quickly and readily most retailers have changed their marketing. But he did point out that, especially in this type of economic environment, retailers are being careful not to alienate customers.

“Shoppers vote with their wallets every day,” said Ellen Davis, a VP at the National Retail Federation. “[When it comes to boycotts,] retailers realize, ‘It could just as easily have been us.’”

The NRF does not formally advise retailers on whether they should use the word Christmas, but Ms. Davis said it does provide statistics. This year’s NRF/BigResearch survey found that 91% of consumers plan to celebrate Christmas, compared with 5% for Hanukkah and 2% for Kwanzaa.

“Retailers dipped their toe into the Christmas waters again last year, and there wasn’t much push back. There wasn’t a huge outcry from groups offended that retailers were saying Merry Christmas,” said Ms. Davis. “We see the word Christmas being used much more this year than three or four years ago. The pendulum seems to have swung back.”

The “extreme backlash” to generic holiday messaging likely caught retailers off guard in years past, Ms. Davis added. Now, phrasing around the holidays is much more strategic. “At this point, it’s a conscious decision. It’s not just whimsical phrases being tossed around in the marketing department,” she said. “These are conversations that are now probably taking place in the C-Suite.”

Retailers certainly tread carefully when it comes to the subject of Christmas. Major retailers such as JCPenney and Target said they don’t have formal policies on in-store greetings. And retailers ranging from Gap to Macy’s and RadioShack to Sears emphasized their inclusion and respect for shoppers of different beliefs, while noting that at least some of their marketing messages include the word Christmas. RadioShack, however, still appears on the AFA’s list of “Companies Against Christmas.” A RadioShack spokesman declined to comment on that distinction.

Plenty view the tactics of the AFA and other groups as bullying, but Mr. Sharp rejects that. “It’s not bullying, it’s consumer advocacy,” he said. The AFA’s stance is that retailers should not profit from Christmas, if they refuse to clearly acknowledge it. “When your advertising has trees and ornaments and gift wrapping, you’re advertising Christmas, so don’t call it holiday,” Mr. Sharp said, adding that the group is not at all offended by Happy Hanukkah messages.

AFA’s Naughty or Nice List*
*Incomplete list, click here for complete list.

Companies for Christmas
Company uses term “Christmas” on a regular basis.

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Cabella’s
• JCPenney
• Kmart
• Kohl’s
• Lowe’s
• Macy’s
• Nordstrom
• Petsmart
• Sears
• Target
• Walmart

Companies Marginalizing Christmas
Company refers to “Christmas” infrequently or in a single advertising medium.

• Banana Republic
• Gap
• Old Navy
• Limited Brands
• Starbucks
• Toys R Us
• Whole Foods

Companies Against Christmas
Company may use “Christmas” sparingly in a single or unique product description.

• Barnes & Noble
• CVS
• Dick’s Sporting Goods
• Office Depot
• RadioShack
• Staples
• Supervalu
• Victoria’s Secret