In this issue:
- A preview of our March meeting with guest speaker Dr. Lynn Manternach of MindFire Communications.
- A recap of our February meeting with John and Jill Parham of J&P Cycles in Anamosa.
  
"Building a Hot Brand"
Guest
Speaker: Dr. Lynn Manternach,
MindFire Communications
Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Clarion Hotel & Convention Center (Map)
Cost: $15.00
The meeting will conclude at approximately 1
p.m.
Reservations are
required and
are due by
5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5.
About the March 2010 Program:
Do you know what your customers are saying about your brand? If not, you don't really know what your brand is. That's because your brand isn't what you say it is. It's what your customers say it is.
Building a hot brand requires customer insight. It doesn't have to be expensive to be effective, but it does need to accurately reflect the perspective of your customers and key stakeholders.
Dr. Lynn Manternach's presentation will help you understand why you need brand research, how to get it done, and how to use the brand insight you've gathered to better manage your company's brand.
About the Guest Speaker:
Dr. Lynn Manternach is president and brand arsonist at MindFire Communications, which has offices in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.
MindFire Communications helps build the fires of brand loyalty for clients with a combination of insight and research-based communications ideas (mind) and creative approaches (fire).
Dr. Manternac's professional background includes advertising, market research, broadcast journalism, teaching, and bartending - a combination of experience that informs her approach to her work with clients and employees every day.
She has a Ph.D. and Master's degree from Iowa State University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.
Submit
your reservation for the March meeting
CRPRA meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, September through May.
Mark your calendars!
by Sher Jasperse
February 2010
"The J&P Cycles Story"
J&P Cycles owners John and Jill Parham took us for an exciting ride at the February meeting with the story of their 30-year-old company, which grew from a small motorcycle repair shop in Anamosa to the world's largest aftermarket retailer of parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson and Metric Cruiser motorcycles - still based in Anamosa and now its largest private employer with a staff of more than 250.
As the Parhams moved away from the repair business into the highly successful parts sales business, their fortunes rose and fell and rose again as they created new companies in the fields of advertising, publishing and promotions, all supporting the concept that if you buy a Harley, you buy into a lifestyle. In 1992 Jill Parham joined the company full-time and brought her management skills to complement John's visionary leadership. That year the company also joined the Direct Marketing Association and began to develop the savvy marketing efforts that have led to its tremendous success in the motorcycle catalog business.
Today J&P publishes a 1,000-page Harley catalog and three other catalogs in specialized motorcycle areas. Its Gold Club has more than 30,000 members, and its Internet marketing activities are building new audiences for the firm. J&P also owns a city block in Sturgis, SD (where it sends 40 employees each year to handle $1 million worth of parts sales at the annual rally), as well as a major retail store in Daytona Beach, Florida.
J&P brought the failing National Motorcycle Museum from Sturgis to Anamosa in 2001 and is in the process of moving it to an expanded facility on the edge of town. Its annual open house draws more than 20,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to Iowa each spring. The Parhams recently welcomed son Zach into the business, and John Parham received the ultimate honor from his industry with his induction into the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
We welcome these new attendees!
Libby Slappey,
Major Gifts Manager,
United Way of East Central Iowa
Kendra Bosten,
Exhibit Design Consultant,
Trade Show Marketing
Shaun Linderbaum,
Vice President,
Clickstop, Inc.
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