Bullpen Marketing Published in Industry Magazine
Bullpen president, Colin Hageney, was interviewed for the October 2009 issue of Promotional Consultant Magazine. In it, he speaks about the project Bullpen tackled for the Co-Cathedral in Houston. Continue reading for the entire article.
CREATIVITY IN CONSTRUCTION
A Houston church transforms leftover limestone into limited-edition keepsakes.
By Audrey Sellers, Promotional Consultant Magazine
It’s not often something beautiful emerges from the dust and rubble of a construction site, however, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston saw opportunity in ordinary limestone pallets left over from the construction of a new cathedral.
Colin Hageney, president of Houston-based distributor Bullpen Marketing (UPIC: BULLPEN), who had previously worked with the Archdiocese, pitched an idea—cut the limestone into small crosses and paperweights to use as fundraisers for the renovation of the archdiocese’s Cathedral Centre housed in an old Federal Reserve building.
“Churches don’t typically do this sort of thing, so it was really a leap of faith,” Hageney says. But he felt confident the crosses and paperweights would be big sellers, considering that the cathedral is the headquarters for the cardinal who represents about one million Catholics in the city.
The Bullpen Marketing team rolled up their sleeves and got to work, hiring a trucker to haul 22 pallets of limestone across Texas to a stonecutter to create 1,000 numbered crosses and 500 un-numbered paperweights. Meanwhile, they sourced white gift boxes and royal blue tissue paper to package the items.
Anticipating that the crosses and paperweights would make ideal mementos for parishioners, Hageney spared no detail. “We created a card insert for the cross packaging that features one of the two quotes carved into the side of the cathedral,” he says. “The tissue included the seal of the church for added effect.”
Hageney and his staff spread the word about the gifts by developing a website and placing ads in the Texas Catholic Herald.
This, along with putting together the gift boxes, was the most fulfilling part of the project for the Bullpen team. “We’re a marketing agency, so it was great to provide the full breadth of our services. We not only did the crosses, but also the advertising and a website,” Hageney says.
The project resonated with the Catholic community, with parishioners buying 10 percent of the inventory on the night of the project launch. “We sold so much because it was the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the church,” says Hageney. “There was a dinner at the cathedral, which brought a lot of people to celebrate. Plus, the cardinal was there to bless and sign the crosses.”
Hageney reports that those who purchased the crosses were excited about getting something different. “They liked that it was a limited-edition keepsake made from the actual materials of the church. Some people see a building being torn down and save a brick—this is taking it one step further and making it into a piece of art.” PC
About Bullpen Marketing: Bullpen Marketing is a Houston-based marketing firm that offers many services ranging from print and web design to promotional products. As a fully integrated marketing agency, it specializes in helping companies and schools improve the way they promote the value of their products and services. Core areas of expertise include strategic planning, branding, academic and web marketing. Its clients range from elementary schools to Fortune 500 corporations. Founded in 1997, Bullpen is one of Houston’s fastest growing marketing and promotional products companies with both local and national accounts. Bullpen is the preferred supplier for the American Marketing Association. Other clients include the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, NACE International, and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Bullpen is a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), American Marketing Association (AMA), Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). Learn more at www.bullpenmarketing.com.
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