And then the snow came...

Well, winter finally got us here in Michigan. Grayish-blue skys all day, deepening snow. But the good news is, Christmas feels like Christmas! And we are all thankful for our many blessings. Best wishes from the Farmer family to all of you!

Say WOW to WOW Music for Christmas!

In honor of our friends and partners at WOW Music, here's how one family took their music and went over the top for the neighbors. I'm sure Santa won't miss THIS house! Enjoy...and click here!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas from all of us and here's to a fantastic 2010! So many of you have shown us heartfelt support, and for that, we can never repay you. May everyone have the blessings of the new year and embrace the joy's that come each day!

The Perfect Gift!

Talladega Days!

Here's some excitement. Our own Barb Gibson and her husband Jay just got back from the race at Tallagadega with pictures from the stands. Spazzles are clearly a natural! The only thing missing at this point are team and driver Spazzles. Write your congressmen, e-mail your drivers, and tell them you want Spazzles to wear and promote them! We need the help of all of you, so "Git' er Done!"

NASCAR Needs Spazzles!

If there's a sport that captures the essence of what our product is about...it's NASCAR. Fans love to show their pride, their spirit, their dedication in any way they possibly can. Spazzles is currently working on trying to get into this amazing sport venue. If you have connections and would like to help us, give us a shout! We'd love the input...

What Should Be Will Be....

We gave it a shot. We connected. And soon enough, our efforts will pay off. In memory of Nick during these exciting playoffs where he would truly have made a difference! Bless you Mr. Adenhart! Click on the picture...

How'd you like to play soccer here?

If you would like to see us advertise as shown here at a local soccer field, let us know!

And awaaaay we go!

Thanks to some very hard work, our crack staff at Spazzles has prepared and is delivering today our very first retail order to MC Sports! Thanks for all the hard work team, it's Miller time!

Spazzles Spotting in Oregon!

Just today, at the the University of Oregon game, there was a special "Spazzles Sighting!" You never know where our product may turn up! Thanks to Mr. Chis Piper for sending us this picture!

Spazzles Come To The iPhone...Again!

But this time, you will now be able to purchase Spazzles! In addition to our already successful "Silly Songz" iPhone Application, coming in October, you will be able to shop for Spazzles right from your Apple iPod or iPhone device. Browse our entire collection of products in this cool new interface or, share your favorite Spazzle with a friend. Look for our launch announcement in October!

Finally! A school fundraising program that works!

How many pizzas can one kid sell each year? How about magazines? We are convinced people literally run and hide when they see kids approaching their doors to sell yet another worthless subscription to Sports Illustrated. The point is, we have a better way!

The Spazzles program gives schools instantly a 100%+ profit margin. And they are actually selling an item people will use to support the school at sporting events and so much more. These collectible editions that are custom made for each school are cool, and people love them. Not to mention, do the math. You get to much higher revenue goals by selling less than ever before. But do not count on selling less! We see HUGE participation from people and schools sell more than they ever have before. And if they have any left over, these will never spoil!

Sell them in your school spirit stores, at games, you name it. Spazzles NEVER go out of style and are the one profit generation machine you can count on every year! Click the image here to learn more or visit our site to get further details!

Laugh for the day...

Okay, we all love the SNL character "MacGruber." Take a look at this funny spot for Pepsi. It's okay to laugh...just click on picture.

Very Clean Bathrooms!

Last week we sent a sales package to a new company who's claim to fame are their restrooms. With about 25 locations mostly around Texas, Buc-ee's is highway rest-stop heaven! Thankfully there are still people out there trying to make the basic things in life even better!

UPDATE!

Buc-ee's does not see any value in Spazzles. Too bad, we felt your customers definately would. Maybe you guys will come around eventually. Best wishes for clean bathrooms!

The "Nuge" gets Spazzled!

You never know where Spazzles might end up. As we continue to grow, the applications for our product take us to places you might never imagine. The Motor City Madman himself, a Spazzler? Well, stay tuned, we think we are only beginning to see how far and where these might go!

Spazzles Hits the Retail Market!

Just this past week Spazzles was taken as a new item to be sold in the MC Sports retail chain. 12 designs were selected and will be sold starting in November at select store locations. This is the first of what we hope to be many new retail chains who take our product line. As always, we'll keep you posted on our progress!

The 500 Promotion Is Just For You!

With our new 500 promotion, you get 200 custom Spazzles, no design fee, no shipping charges, no set-up fee, and ALL for a mere $500! Now's the perfect time for you or your company to try out Spazzles for your company outing, incentive programs, fund-raisers, etc.! Give us a call and start your new Spazzles tradition today!

What happened to this type of humor?

It was simple. Basic plots, memorable characters, no swearing or sex, and we were all glued to these classic shows. Still are. In fact, Spazzles, through our license with CBS Classic TV, has created an entire line of new designs featuring many of these classic shows. Stay tuned for our release of these new Spazzles!

Truly a Spazzles Moment! Wow!!!

Check out this video during a baseball playoff game. Who showed up who? The only thing missing was a nice Spazzle for that ball cap! Just click the video to watch it...wow!

Michigan goes bonkers for cherries!

This week in Traverse City, Michigan, it's the annual Cherry Festival! A week of fun activities, food and fun. Who knew so much could be done with cherries? Ask the people of Northern Michigan, they're sure to have a recipe or event tied to one of their biggest industries. Yum!

Spazzles in the Big D!

The Association of Luxury Suite Directors is holding an Expo this upcoming week in Dallas at the Anatole Hotel. There, hundreds of directors representing sports venues all over the country come to seek out the latest and hottest to offer those who pay big dollars to own luxury suites in sports arenas. A perfect fit for Spazzles, and our friend Chris Piper of Breakout SM is going to represent us at the show. We look forward to a solid show with great results! Thanks Breakout SM for supporting our efforts!

The Spazzles 500 Promotion is on!

For a limited time, we are offering a killer deal for those who might be somewhat "iffy" about whether they would like to buy Spazzles or not. In the promotion, for a mere $500, you get a free design ($250 value) free shipping, and 200 Spazzles! Talk about a great deal. Contact Matt today to place your order...

How funny is this?

Well, the show in Las Vegas was a roaring success. The Spazzles brand was seen and loved by many, and now we start the process of working directly with the great companies we met. One in particular stood out for us. This company is from China, and they produce a large red button that you can stick to your dashboard to release any road rage you may have. The name of the product is the "Redneck Horn." Made by Road Rager products. Just click on the video to hear a sampling of what you get! Or should we say "git!"

Spazzles are a sure bet!

Well, we're headed off the the International Licensing Expo in Vegas this upcoming week. If you would like to set up a meeting time with us, simply go to our website and contact us. Someone will get back to you immediately. Standby for pictures from the show when we return!

Golf Anyone?

The 2009 Byron Nelson turned out to be a lot of fun. Although some of the big name golfers didn't attend, the action was still exciting. We had a great venue courtesy of Mr. Boone Pickens. Thanks! Here is the scene from our villa, greenside on the 18th...

New Features for Silly Songz!

Our most recent update that was released just last night has some out of this world new ability. Now, you can also ADD your own image to your song and send it! Either take a shot with your device camera, or, collect an image stored in your device library. Songs are delivered to media players, and each image is framed with a colorful Silly Songz border. One more reason to get your hands on this cool app!

Speaking of Being Totally Cereal...

If this won't make you laugh at Al Gore, nothing will. Just click on the image and enjoy!

We're Totally Cereal About Getting Into Cereal!

The other day, we were thinking about the good old days when cereal companies used to draw you in by putting prizes and fun items in their boxes. Remember how cool it was to pull something out you didn't actually eat from one of those magical boxes? Well, we do. So for that reason, we are now approaching Wheaties to see if they agree.

After all, what makes more perfect sense for Wheaties? A collectible Spazzle for the legends of sports that adorn each box cover. We'll let you know how this progresses!

Spring in West Michigan

It's FINALLY here! And no one is more excited than all of us at Spazzles. Sure, we love winter and the beautiful snow. But after such a long and cold time this year, the warmth and beauty is a welcomed sight! Here is a shot taken by our talented CEO. Enjoy...

Tulip Time is Coming May 2-9!

And just in time for the local festival, you can purchase your commemorative Spazzle at GLOBE Vision in downtown Holland on 8th street, as seen here on the left-hand side of the page. Just ask Bob and look for the display! www.globe-vision.com/

In Memoriam To A Fallen Angel

To commemorate the untimely passing of California Angel Nick Adenhart, Spazzles has created and is donating to the team this special Spazzle. We are saddened by this tragedy, and this is our small way to help the team and family remember his special life and contributions.

What is Silly Songz Lite?

You called it! It's a limited version of the original. Any day now, our "Free" version of this great application will be available in the iTunes Store. It includes 5 songz that are commonly used and great fun. If you haven't tried the full version for fear of quality or use, give this a whirl. We think you'll be impressed...enough so you will buy the full app! "Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, I think You Are Hot, I'm Bored and I'm sorry for what I said." 5 Cool songz that you can use over and over, as many times as you'd like for free!

Search Silly Songz Reviews

Here is a collection of reviews that have been done so far. Overall, we have done a great job! Just do a search for Silly Songz to find all of the reviews. We have also just submitted a FREE version of Silly Songz to the iTunes store, although it will probably take a couple of weeks to actually get in. In it, we have 5 songz to use that will give people a taste of what the app can do. Here are the reviews;

1. http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/16/six-fun-and-useful-iphone-apps/
2. http://www.appcraver.com/silly-songz/
3. http://www.appboxx.com/app_details/silly_songz/26002
4. http://www.appsherpa.com/apps/silly-songz
5. http://www.iphoneappratings.org/silly-songz
6. http://www.appchatter.com/index.php?s=silly+songz
7. http://www.whatsoniphone.com/reviews/silly-songz
8. http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/silly-songz-app-review/15904930

Fox 17 Was A Lot Of Fun!

Here is our interview with the local news affiliate. Enjoy...

The Silly Songz Team

Thought everyone might like to see who the people are behind the product. Top to bottom: Rich, Tasha, David and Scott (the huggy guy) If you have any ideas for songz or want to submit music...let us know!

Steve Wozniak Gets Silly

As a funny tribute to the Co-founder of Apple, we have put together a video rendition of a recent performance on "Dancing With The Stars" set to an original Silly Song. We are all big fans of anything Apple, and we think he has shown tremendous courage to go on this show! Hope you enjoy...

Ever Happen to You?

Have You Heard?

Here's a little, fun video the boys at WOW Music threw together to showcase the cool music you get with Silly Songz. Just a small sampling of the wonderful, creative work they do to make this such a special application. Check it out!

Spazzles to Appear on Fox News

The local Fox affiliate will be doing a live interview and story about Spazzles on March 27th during the early morning show. It'll be an early day, but we look forward to sharing our story with all the Fox viewers! We'll be sure to get a copy of the video to post after the interview as well. Wish us luck!

Why haven't you bought Silly Songz Yet?

The drum has rolled, the train has left the station, and just this past Wednesday, iTunes released our app! To say we're excited is the understatement of the world!

You might be a redneck if...

Well, we went, we saw, we hardly conquered. Our recent trip to the Shipshewana Flea Market gave us some keen insights as to our real target audience for Spazzles. Needless to say, these kind folks were NOT one of them. In total, we sold 4 Spazzles. That's right, 4. A total profit of $16.00. Heck, the gasoline cost us $35.00 just to get there! Now you ask yourself, why the low number?

Well, this is 100% proof that marketing and statistics about demographics do exist and stand for something. Matching the right people, in the right venue, with the right product is paramount. Unfortunately for our team, they had to endure 8 hours of learning the hard way! It isn't that these folks don't appreciate our product or think we have a stinker on our hands. Quite the contrary. The disconnect came when we put ourselves in direct competition with hand-crafted oak mailboxes that had wood-burned engravings that said "The Redneck Family" on them for a mere $35.00! Never underestimate the buying habits of those who go to flea markets looking for a "real deal."

Who said the mullet died?

The IFA was GREAT!

We made some really great connections at the IFA Convention in San Diego over the weekend and one of those connections was with Jack Nicholson! OK, so it was a look alike Jack named John, but close enough. We can’t go into details about who we met with and talked to, (because we are terrified of jinxing ourselves) but suffice it to say, they were all good and we are very hopeful.

The legend of Cougar Sticks

One day, the phone rings at Spazzles offices, and on the other end of the phone we hear a voice that cannot be described. Friendly, but odd. After what seemed like an hour, the individual wanted to place an order for customized Spazzles to promote himself to the world. Well, not one to pass on any opportunity for new revenue, we probed further. So we've all heard of Tiger Woods. But I'll bet you haven't heard of "Cougar Sticks?" Spazzles is pleased to support this brave pioneer of golf who's individual handicap ranks as the highest of all-times in USGA recorded history. Cougar is making a run at becoming the worst golfer on record while at the same time building his popularity to the level of Tiger Woods. We'll keep you posted...

Why your company needs to Spazzle!

Promotional Items can build customer loyalty.

When I think of all the imprinted items I have in my office, the first thing that comes to mind is a trade show. Somewhere along the line, I have visited a booth, workshop, or product display, and walked away with an imprinted item from the vendor. Over the years I have reduced the number of items I receive so that I can maintain a minimal luggage requirement for the trip. Good for me, but not so good for those who would like to keep their brand alive after the show.
It wasn’t until a recent telephone conversation that I began to see promotional items in a new light. While talking to a business associate, he made mention of promotional items being used as a tool to increase customer loyalty. We went on to talk about Maritz Inc. - a company we know in common - a leader in the field of customer loyalty and employee recognition programs.

Where I thought of rewards programs from credit card companies as customer loyalty programs, he pointed out the branding of small items can have a lasting impression on customers and employees, too. So, how would a customer loyalty program like this work for the average size company?

I stumbled upon the answer while talking to my son, Kyle Kusterer, a newly appointed account executive for Think Promotional Group (formerly Capital Promotion Partners of Raleigh, NC). Where I described the need for a three voicemail script for lasting impressions in making sales calls, he described using promotional items in a sequence of mailings to stay “Top Of Mind” (awareness) with salespeople.

He showed me a program they provide to their customers – in this case, their customer is a supplier of goods, or services – that sends one, new promotional item each month to the salespeople at the vendor’s customer. Each item is imprinted with a logo or contact information of the vendor. The items vary, but most are simple and useful, e.g., a flash drive, or cellular phone headset.

It’s the lasting effect these items have on the salespeople that caught my interest; when the sequence of items is finished, the salespeople want to know why the items have stopped. A positive and lasting impression is the foundation of customer loyalty and brand awareness. A program like this sounds like a positive branding experience, and one that far outlasts a trade show.

Another company in my area, Brand Fuel Promotions, showed me a wealth of creative promotional items. In visiting their showroom, I was quickly lost in the vast inventory of items and possibilities. However, what I found more effective than creativity in the item design or use, was Brand Fuel’s desire to match an item to the customer’s business and increasing brand awareness. Spending adequate time working with the promotional items company to drive customer loyalty is more important than finding a clever item to give away.

Beyond customer or employee loyalty programs, promotional items can serve as an incentive to attend an upcoming workshop or seminar. As an example, I was recently offered a flash drive as an incentive to attend a local conference with the flash drive serving as an enticement for early registration.

Do you have stories of using promotional items to build customer loyalty beyond the traditional giveaway at a trade show? As a recipient of promotional items, which ones have left you with the most lasting impression, or branding experience? What kind of items do you find useful, and why?

http://salesbarriers.typepad.com/one_goal_revenue_generati/2008/11/promotional-items-can-build-customer-loyalty.html

Frozen Beauty

Even in the depths of a Michigan winter, beauty can be found. We took a walk today around the corner from our home, and were blessed with this visual splendor. While we can't wait until the warmer temperatures of spring grace West Michigan, we sometimes forget just how special every season can be. Not today. Enjoy...

(Yes, that is huge ice flow in the background!)

Spazzle This...

Just because you’re not the hat-wearing type, doesn’t mean you can’t rock your outfit with a Spazzle! If you have idea on how to “wear” your favorite Spazzle, don’t be shy, tell us about it!
contact@spazzles.com

What a big poster you have?

Check out our new banner for our booth. Imagine this. Only $75! Our new friends at banners.com came through big time!.

The Newz Is Out! Say It With A Song.

Who says you can’t take an old idea and put a new spin on it? Well, that’s exactly what has happened in a joint venture between Michigan-based Spazzles and Indiana’s WOW Music. “The founders of WOW Music have been long time friends of ours, and recently while visiting, we got into a creative blue-sky session that resulted in a wonderful new iPhone application we have created together based on the original singing telegram business combined with the intent people have sending greeting cards,” states Tasha Farmer, CEO of Spazzles. The iPhone has stimulated thousands of developers to create incredible applications specifically for the iPhone platform that can be used for a wide variety of daily uses, everything from business applications, to games, utilities, productivity, and with Silly Songz…music.
“We have produced thousands of jingles for global companies over the years. We’re musicians and song writers. When we got together with our friends, we realized we could express our musical creativity in an entirely new way,” says Rich Airis of WOW Music. “Over the years, we have forged some pretty incredible relationships with musicians and singers that we are tapping to be a part of this new way to communicate through song” said Scott Kemper, musical partner at WOW. The new application debuts in the iTunes App Store the first week of February and the company has high hopes that they too will reap the incredible results certain other applications have found through this revolution with Apple iPhone.

http://www.spazzles.com/silly-songz.html

Spazzles Are Hitting The Road!

Garage sales not your thing? Department stores too boring? How about a happy medium like the Shipshewana Flea Market?! Spazzles is proud to announce that we will be selling more than 50 designs at our very first flea market on a very special weekend in South Bend, Indiana. Very special, because it starts on Valentine’s Day! That’s right, you can treat your sweetie to a whole new experience this year and skip the chocolate and flowers. Get him or her what they REALLY want…hint: starts with S, ends with E and has two Z’s in it. We’re even giving Special Spazzles deals just at the show; free hats, enter to win a contest and duh, no shipping charges either! For more info, go to: http://www.shipshewanaontheroad.com/

Transferable Branding?

In our never-ending quest to sell Spazzles into the corporate space, we have put together some really killer kits! Here is a sample of how we "brand" prospects in each kit to show them exactly how we would present them. The kits themselves are very impressive, touting an embroidered hat, letter of introduction AND custom deisgns we have put together especially for each prospect to take any "imagine if you will" out of the equation. If this looks good to you, give us a call! We're only happy to stretch our wings and show you our capabilities.
And yes, this IS our creative work. Not some ad agency!

Get Ready To Be Silly!!!

The countdown has begun. The launch is imminent. The iTunes Store will never be the same. Prepare yourself for the introduction of Silly Songz!!! Starting February 1st, log into your iTunes account if you have an iPhone. Search Silly Songz. You'll be glad you did.

Get Ready To Be Wowed!

Spazzles recently joined forces with WOW! Music of Indianapolis for a project set for release in February. Details about the project are being shrouded in secrecy for now, but officials at both companies promise something monumental! Stay tuned for updates...
http://asaproductions.com/

The Meaning of 'Spazzle.'

According to the urban dictionary;
Spazzle 1. To be used in lovestruck circumstances, when nothing else comes to mind. 2. When you have an outer body experience and no words can describe how you feel. 3. A strong connection between two people. 4. While napping, a sudden jerky movement, but still remaining very smooth and fluid. 5. An alternative to yes; a very enthused proclamation. 6. The sound made by sucking in excess saliva in a loving way.

While we enjoyed the definition of number 6, we here at Spazzles feel it means to "say what you feel with passion!" It's fun adding new words to the dictionary...

So you REALLY like cold weather?

Then Zeeland, Michigan is the place for you right now! All of us have been buried for quite some time now here in Western Michigan. Is it spring yet? Come for a visit. We need help shoveling!