As we start 2021 I want to wish everyone a happy healthy and brighter new year.
At the beginning of 2020, I was mostly thinking about my grandparents. They were young and newly married in the early 1920s. And while most historians refer to that decade as the Roaring Twenties, my grandparents defined it differently for themselves.
My grandfather was an engineer with the railroad, witnessed the industry expand and enjoyed job security. He and my grandmother bought their own home. And thanks to my grandmother's sharp budgetary skills, paid it off in seven years. They also started a family and began raising three incredible children. They weren't running around in flapper dresses or frequenting a Chicago speakeasy. They were at home enjoying family prosperity.
That was my wish for everyone as this new decade started a year ago. Thinking about the many different forms of families today, I wished all of them the same calm steady prosperity my grandparents experienced.
As we all know, with the decade barely underway, this ideal was tested to the max.
We are deeply saddened by the tremendous amount of loss so many families experienced this past year. We feel for the grief of those who lost loved ones, and for the stress and anxiety of everyone experiencing economic hardship. Even as the vaccine becomes available, we will continue to face many challenges as we work to take care of ourselves and assist in the care of others.
I'm confident we can make progress on these new initiatives. Because through it all, I'm proud to say that we saw signs of hope, experienced some positive growth and worked to support those in need in 2020.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, we launched a special initiative in support of the thousands of nurses who are on the front lines of the pandemic. The campaign worked to secure donations to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund. This effort is on-going today, but we certainly hope this kind of help won't be needed in the near future.
CBD Marketing also volunteered to help the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. They were facing the need to sell cookies in a whole new way. COVID-19 made it impossible for them to sell cookies in person, outside grocery stores or with order forms sent to mom and dad's office. Our digital campaign is now raising awareness and driving consumers to individual online stores where scouts get credit for each and every sale.
Nothing says love like Girl Scout Cookies. That said, we saw love blossom and sweep through the agency in 2020. There were two weddings and an engagement! And we wish all of these happy couples the best of everything.
And, of course, we extend much love and gratitude to our clients. We not only appreciate the support you showed us last year, but are thrilled that together we forged new strategies, built new campaigns and helped drive results that achieved your goals. What's more, your references and referrals helped us secure seven new accounts in 2020.
So, what's ahead for 2021? We'll continue to:
- Stay close to the needs of nurses
- Ensure the Girl Scouts sell lots of cookies
- Help our clients exceed their goals with smart marketing strategy and innovative creative that compels prospects and customers to engage
From our CBD Marketing family to yours, thank you for your friendship and support. Wishing you peace and prosperity in the New Year and throughout the entirety of this unfolding decade.