Connecting with Customers

Many people learn by watching so when we had the opportunity to hire someone with video skills we jumped at the chance. For several years, we've wanted to create videos for our customers that would provide easy instruction, give examples of how to use or display personalized candy bars and share information about our Hershey's chocolate gifts and favors.

That's where Molly comes in. We threw our big ideas at her within weeks of her starting work at wrappedhersheys.com and quickly she brought in a rough video for us to preview. I was completely surprised how Molly had taken our vision and transformed it into a fabulous presentation.

On our Facebook page Molly has posted videos for Mother's Day, Father's Day, National Chocolate Day and just last week we added wrapping instructions to our website. We placed another video on our Wrapped Hershey's YouTube channel. However, I'll be honest and tell you my three favorite videos so far are located on our blog. Under Next Generation, you'll find two super cute videos of Spencer and you must watch our very own cooking show, Chocolate Talk. I just can't wait to see what Molly does next. 

My Employees Are Cooler Than Yours!

I'm responsible for the creative side of the business. I get energy to do my job being surrounded by innovative thinkers. At the beginning of July Scott and I celebrated our 8th anniversary as owners of CARSON wrappedhersheys.com. After all this time, rarely are Scott or I surprised by our associates but at our monthly company meeting in July, our team did something completely unexpected.

When we walked into our cafe we were greeted with hysterically funny snapshots of Scott and I from the past 8 years scattered all over the walls. Underneath each photo was a beautifully written personal note. The fright of the old pictures was worth the words I read and I will cherish these pages always. And as if that wasn't enough...

It started out as a normal company lunch. I set up the meeting powerpoint while a small group organized the catered food. Then strangely I was left alone. Slowly one by one everyone made their way into our cafe. Think LOL. I laughed out loud as I saw all our employees in t-shirts with Scott and I's large picture on the front with text that screamed "My bosses are cooler than yours."

Lesson learned, never go out of town the week before our anniversary and give our team free reign to be clever at our expense!

What's on Our Big Screens!

At CARSON wrappedhersheys.com, we have a slew of creative employees. One of our Sales & Marketing Associates, Molly Bauer, is our video and film extraordinaire! Each week, Molly creates a slide show that runs throughout the day on our screens all over the office. Not only are they entertaining, but they’re informative.

Molly researches and displays events for each month such as July 15th being Cow Appreciation Day. She also shows how many orders have been booked and shipped, our monthly goals, employee birthdays and anniversaries and employee spotlights. These spotlights help all of us learn some fun facts about our co-workers. This week I learned that if Michelle Beal, our Vice President, could meet anyone she’d meet Audrey Hepburn.

Other entertaining features of the slide show include brainteasers, random facts and the top ten movies at the box office. Molly also loves to promote FunShine by presenting pictures and videos of current events like volunteering at Paint the Town and having some fun around the office with our own version of Minute to Win It.

My two favorite pieces of the display are the pictures of our newest designs and our weekly Carson Cuties. Molly keeps track of all the pictures of the sweet kids featured on our wrappers and chooses to display a handful for us to look at. I love all of the neat wrappers our graphic artists have created and getting to see all of the photos of the adorable little ones.

Thanks to Molly’s creativity we all have something new and interesting to watch at lunch and while we walk around the office. All the imagination around here makes this a fantastic place to work!

Confirmation Design Update

Our Confirmation category has not been activated since October 2009 until NOW! Yes, we have revamped the entire collection and are proud to introduce updated designs along with rewritten back options.

After doing research, our graphic design team was able to create a colorful variety. We are offering 3 designs where the photograph of the confirmed individual shines brightly. Several designs feature the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. A couple wrappers have rich textural backgrounds. Add your personalization and celebrate a Confirmation in your spiritual family.

Product Pictures

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How many of us actually read all the text on websites? Personally, I prefer pictures. If something appeals to me, click. I'm moving through the internet faster than photo downloads. The pictures on our website are all taken here, which is no easy task.

Today, photos are being taken for a silver winter Holiday scene, a bronze Thanksgiving setting and presents under a Christmas tree. It's amazing to see the work it takes to set up each group. Then our product has to be placed in the scene with just the right light and angles. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I've read...over the top of a picture.

Costume Concept Countdown

I can't believe it's October already. Halloween is just around the corner and at CARSON wrappedhersheys.com we dress-up for a fun-filled day at work. When we tell new employees about our plans, they often look at everyone in disbelief. Seriously? You dress in costume to come to work? I know they think we must be crazy. However, if you want to test the creativity of your co-workers, this just might be the most ingenious way to do it.

The Tin-Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow have been seen in our building. Goldilocks and the 3 Bears brought the house down. Kitty Cats took over the phone center. We've had giant salt and pepper shakers. Three people working as a team created a place setting of a fork, knife and spoon.

Scott and I are partners in life and at work, so naturally we have always tried to come up with a couple idea. We've been Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. We were Matrix power couple, Neo and Trinity. A few years ago Ugly Betty and her boyfriend Henry. Then Todd and Sarah Palin burst onto the scene. So here I am, pressure mounting, trying to come up with the perfect pair for Halloween 2010 because I know everyone else here will be inspired.

Clever Customers

One of my jobs each day is to review our customers' orders. While one department is checking ship type, ship date and reading comments, I have the task of reading the personalization entered for each order. I look for mispellings, apostophes in the wrong place, run on sentences, etc. While this may sound boring, it's not.

On wedding wrappers I often find it interesting to see a First Date, Engagement and Wedding date all together. Every 1st birthday wrapper makes me smile thinking about my daughters eating cake for the first time. But my absolute favorite part of reading the orders has to be the clever statements written by the customers. I've seen great quotes, curious names and humorous well wishes. Today when I was going through the stack of orders I came across a wedding wrapper which the customer was obviously using as an Anniversary favor. Instead of typing into the text box the two names for the front of the wrapper, the customer typed "It Takes Two." Simple, sweet and so true.

The Sweetest Wedding Dress

Don't you just love reality tv? I remember when Survivor first hit and we would discuss the tribal council decision each week. Then American Idol took over everything with everyone here having a favorite singer. But it was our daughter Chase who really brought reality television to CARSON wrappedhersheys.com.

In 2008 when Project Runway premiered Season 4 episode 6 Chase was watching when the designer contestants were given the challenge of running into the Hershey's Time Square Store to grab whatever they could. When you think Hershey's Chocolate do you think dresses? Now you can because the designers used everything from Kisses printed tissue paper to felt pillows. Chase told us about the show and later we discovered that the dresses were going to be auctioned off.

Never one to let his daughter down, Scott bid and won not 1, not 2 but 8 dresses. We were in the process of remodeling our facility and thought what an amazing opportunity it would be to display the dresses here. However we lent the dresses to Dylan's Candy Bar first where someone with as much imagination as the designers saw the dresses and had to have one...for her wedding dress. The bride wanted to borrow the dress but after we saw the wedding pictures we said we could not take the dress back...it's the Sweetest Most Outrageous Wedding Dress we've ever seen!

Photo Credit: Karen Cunningham (The New York Times)

Storybook Memories

Last night I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up summer reading books for my oldest daughter Ellis. I looked over to the children's area with bittersweet memories. When my girls were little, we read every night together before they went to bed. As babies they enjoyed the large picture books like Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. 

A few years ago we became licensed to use the copyright images for Guess How Much I Love You and Itty Bittees. This year when I was approached about adding licenses for Maisy and Amazing Baby images, I was thrilled. The graphic designers were able to use the characters in our Birthday, Baptism and Baby Shower categories. One wrapper design is cuter than the next but all of them remind me of two little girls sitting on my lap.

Now Available - First Communion Favors

Everyday as I work at my desk, I hear "We launched our new website in October and we haven't finished uploading product in all the categories yet." I cringe at the thought of potential customers not finding favors for their event. However, with the new site we took on a challenge of redoing our images and we think the difference makes the shopping experience much better for our website visitors.

Last week we started activating First Communion wrapper designs. We have more to add and then Graduation, Quinceanera and the list just keeps going and going and going...