The first compound microscope is invented in the Netherlands, and from then on, people start realizing the value of paying more attention to smaller things. “Distributors want to get the big order, it seems,” said Martin. “[But] it’s main street America, it’s the small business who utilizes calendars in a lot of cases.” Martin listed numerous examples, including plumbers, electricians, barber shops and beauty salons. A type of small business Martin singled out for particular growth was the restaurant industry. “For us, they’ve been able to use them in a coupon-type program,” he said. “They can put right in the ad copy ‘bring your previous month’s calendar sheet and receive 10 percent off’ ... and we’ve seen kind of a growth in that.”
Kilday pointed out material distributors as another strong market for calendars. “It can be plumbing distributors, it can be any electrical distributors, it can be distributors of clock pieces or anything,” he said. “Those people are probably the best prospects.”
Making Time
A historical perspective of calendar promotions