JC Marketing: Cutting Edge Marketing
Walking billboards for your customer’s belt.
Back in 1991, every dealer had tape measures for sale and every contractor wore one on his belt but they were all just brand name products. JC Marketing was born from the idea that a tape measure label — visible on a contractor’s belt — was a perfect high-powered promotional tool for distributors.
“We created the concept, and from then on our tape measures became walking billboards on contractors’ belts,” says Jake Chakko, president and founder of JC Marketing Advantedge Corp. “They generate additional business for the dealer since branch-specific labels are imprinted with aggressive marketing messages.”
“Now, 21 years later, 18,000-plus dealers use our ISO 9001 certified tape measures,” he states. “In 1996 we created a unique label imprinting process and began offering the best quality labels in the industry, printed in-house for small quantities orders, at no additional cost for full photo-quality color label runs. These heavy-duty tape labels last at least five years.”
As the company grew, more dealers recognized the value of this kind of marketing and wanted to apply JC’s concept to more products. Now, JC Marketing’s best-sellers also include a 7-in-1 rubber-handled ratcheting screwdriver with a 3/8-inch drive socket built into the back, and a custom Imprinted dual-magnet 8-LED flashlight with a built-in laser pointer.
The products serve three key functions; as counter sales consumables and marketing tools; retaining existing customers and generating new business via imprinted marketing messages; and as promotional gifts.
“Today over 800 manufacturers of contractor related products in our industry love this concept and will pay 50 to 100 percent of the distributor’s cost from co-op advertising dollars. We will print separate labels for separate manufacturers in any quantity at no additional cost."
JC’s small-run printing ability led it to expand the imprinting idea into something even more unique, the Contractor Label Program.
“Now every dealer can become a Contractor Program vendor,” Chakko explains. “Just set up your free counter display and offer custom-imprinted tape measures to contractors in lots of 12 or more at no additional cost. Contractors can order just 12 tapes with their name on the label at no extra charge, and use them as marketing tools too. So they end up buying more tapes at a time.” CS
Jake Chakko is president of JC Marketing Advantedge Corp., which produces custom imprinted contractor gear. He can be reached at 888-248-2063 ext 109; by e-mail at jcprez@jcind.com or online at www.jcedge.com
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The April/May 2024 issue of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
This digital edition is sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc.
Our cover story, Masters of Fasteners, visits Interstate Screw Corp. of metro Miami, which serves the fastening needs of south Florida, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Also in this issue,our Industry Updates cover Adhesives, Tapes and Sealants, Anchoring Systems and Safety and PPE.
This digital edition is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!
