This has been a really cool year for us, in addition to being nominated for the Wittenberg Entrepeneurial Business Award we have also been nominated for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year for 2010!

We have some awesome competition, including Littleton & Rue Funeral Home, Springboard Group and Gillam Lawncare & Landscaping.

The Small Business of the Year award will be presented at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting on February 25th, along with awards for Business of the Year and Minority Owned Business of the Year.

Thanks again to all of our customers and vendors as this recognition would not be possible without all of you!

I am often asked, because I have gotten to a little over 1200 followers on Twitter (@ceriumgroup if interested), how we use Twitter…and social media in general.

First, I have to give credit to David Zak, Vice President of Economic Development at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, for much of what drives our philosophy on using social media for our business.  He has been and remains a bit of a pioneer in our community on using these types of communication mediums.

We seek to accomplish a few primary things through social media:

1.  Be generous – promote things our customers want people to be aware of or significant development or happenings with them.

2.  Deliver value – provide useful content about the use of promotional products, printing and apparel or marketing in general.

3.  Keep people up to date – distribute the blog or links to our Elements email about new developments, Kiosk updates, award nominations, staff happenings or anything else happening at Cerium.

4.  Get personal – mix in who we are as people to allow you to get to know us on a deeper level.

Using these 4 main objectives, we have developed an editorial calendar that dictates we will distribute “Elements from The Cerium Group” monthly to deliver offers to our customers as well as a weekly blog entry and ongoing updates based on what’s going on to our accounts on Twitter, Facebook etc.

Our market is changing, getting younger every day and it will continue to change from here to eternity.  Most folks are transitioning from getting their news, content on topics that interest them etc. from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and the like.  As a result of this, when you develop content, you need to distribute it into those places because there are groups of people that prefer one over the other.  You need to be sure you have the content where people are looking.

While our plan on the use of these communication platforms will continue to evolve, it will always be derived out of our foundational desire to deliver value to our customers.

Really excited about our “new” new site, we feel this site provides a much better framework for us to grow into as well a superior structure for our soon to be launched MyCerium system.

Check out the new site at:  http://home.theceriumgroup.com/

Or see the screen shot of our new home page below:

The Cerium Group has partnered with Cisco & Co., http://www.ciscoco.com/index.php, by launching a Kiosk store that provides the distribution channel for their healthcare promotions.  Cisco & Co., founded by Patty Cisco, MBA, helps healthcare leaders and organizations maximize their goals by creatively connecting with their customers, implementing proven methods to drive revenue and build their business.

Cisco & Co. offers an extensive selection of strategies to help you creatively connect with your customer. We can help you share your story by using clear, compelling and convincing messages through multiple strategies. This creates the consistency you need to build your business and increase your revenue stream.

• Marketing & Sales Strategies
  • Do you want to grow your “potential” customer interest base with creative connection strategies?
• Brand Image Strategies
  • Are you ready to gain a competitive edge by creating an experiential brand difference?
• Coaching & Training
  • Is developing exceptional leaders and front-line staff important to your organization to remain vibrant, effective and competitive?
• Speaking Engagements
  • Are you seeking an engaging and motivational speaker who presents topics relevant to the challenges healthcare leaders face in today’s ever changing competitive environment?

We are proud to be in the 4th week of our 12 Weeks of Christmas promotion!  The topics for each week are below:

Week 1 -Holiday (Halloween & Christmas)

Week 2 – Calendars

Week 3 – Clocks & Watches

Week 4 – Tools, Knives & Flashlights

Week 5 – Padfolios, Journals & Jotters

Week 6 – Technology

Week 7 – Writing Instruments

Week 8 – Drinkware

Week 9 – Health & Personal Care

Week 10 – Apparel

Week 11 – Home & Kitchen / Food Gifts

Week 12 – RUSH Items!

This promotion is designed to help our customers consider the entire spectrum of gift options available to them for their customers and/or employees.  We are so pleased to be able to offer quality brands such as Cutter & Buck, Wenger/Swiss Army, High Sierra, NIKE, Adidas, Skagen and many many more.

Merchants National Bank has launched its very own Kiosk!  The store will allow employees, currently at the Springfield, Ohio office, to purchase over 300 different apparel and accessory items with the Merchants National Bank logo.

Our hope is to see the store help support their existing marketing efforts and create more brand recognition in this and eventually other markets.  You can visit the store at:  http://stores.kioskvs.com/merchantsnat

Merchants National Bank was established in 1879 and is an independent institution built upon a foundation of financial strength and customer service.  The Merchants National Bank has nine convenient offices to serve you: three locations in Hillsboro, two locations in Greenfield, and one location in Washington Court House, London, Springfield, and Mt. Orab, Ohio.  Each of our offices is individually and locally managed.  Read more at: http://merchantsnat.com/

The Cerium Group has launched a Kiosk for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.  The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was founded in 1943 by Edwin Juergens, William Minnick and William Fiedler, the organization’s first conductor. The first complete concert was performed in 1944 at Central Methodist Church in Springfield. Learn more about the Springfield Symphony Orchestra at:  http://springfieldsym.org/aboutsso.html

Their online store currently offers embroidered apparel and accessories with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra logo.  You can visit the store at:  http://stores.kioskvs.com/springfieldsym/.  We are excited to be able to provide a service that we hope will be an asset to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s marketing and fundraising efforts.