It was going to be one of the biggest charity events of the season. The local library, a big part of the town’s social scene, was hosting an evening to benefit the town’s homeless shelter, and Darleane had been hired to ensure the night was well-attended . . . and the shelter received a lot of support. She was the Promotions Manager.
And Darleane, known for putting on some of the most spectacular events in the entire state, pulled out all the stops. She had managed to snag Bobby Blaine, a well-known pop star, as the main event—he was raised in a nearby town, and had close roots—and she wasn’t about to let success on this one slip through the cracks. They were going to raise money for that homeless shelter, and this event was going to be written about in the newspapers, local and national, for weeks to come. Darleane would make sure of that.
Her next step, after selecting the date and managing to book Bobby Blaine for a, at this point, surprise appearance, was to secure the date on townspeople’s calendars. She decided to send out Save the Date postcards to make the announcement, so no one would be able to say they hadn’t heard of the event in enough time to fit it in. Uh uh. Not this event!
Darleane had decided that a Save the Date postcard would be the perfect vehicle to announce Bobby’s appearance, why he would be here, and to make sure everyone knew the date he’d be in town. Simple, just the right amount of information and nothing more. Not too much to muddle up the intent or the importance of the event. These Save the Date postcards would be sent out to specific, invited guests, as well as to targeted addresses in the local zip code, and to purchased mail lists in and around the state. With a nationally-known star guest headlining the event, the audience would likely be larger than it would be otherwise, and Darleane knew she could invite a broader scope of people for that very reason. She was pleased with the coup.
For the front of the Save the Date postcard, she intended to use the event’s official graphic, including a banner sideways across the bottom proclaiming Bobby Blaine’s name, in big letters, as “Special Guest.” That would certainly get the attention she wanted. On the back in the message section, she would reiterate the pop star’s attendance, the date of the event, the location, and the words, “Save the Date” written in big letters, along with an exclamation point. A few last-lines teaser would be added, “Bobby Blaine will be signing autographs and chatting with fans . . . but only those who buy a ticket to the event! More information to follow.”
Darleane was convinced that this would peak the interest of many in and around their nice-sized town. It wasn’t often that a nationally-known star made a local appearance, and she planned to take advantage of every possible angle. Despite the fact that Bobby was something of a local himself, he hadn’t been home in any public capacity since he’d left to become a recording sensation. This was a first for him, too, and he had told Darleane personally that he was quite excited.
With so much to do to get this event off the ground and to make it successful, Darleane wasted no time in getting the Save the Date postcard created. She had explained to Mary, her assistant, how she wanted the card to look, and then given Mary full authority to find the right printer to do the job. Within a few hours of having task in hand, Mary came back to Darleane with a mock-up and a price quote. She had located an online printer to do the job, get it done within a week, and at a cost which no one else could even approach. They would have to order their Save the Date postcards in bulk, quite a number of them, and that certainly helped bring down the per-postcard price.
Darleane carefully reviewed the Save the Date postcard mock-up. On the front was the charity logo in the right place, the benefit’s graphic placed in the best spot, and that all-important “Bobby Blaine, Special Guest” banner strategically in line where no one could possibly miss it. And on the back were all the pertinent details, including the Bobby Blaine autograph teaser. Again, well-placed. It would be seen, and that was the key.
She authorized the mock-up exactly as Mary gave it to her, and turned it right back. She gave Mary the business credit card, and was told that their Save the Date postcards would get to them in less than a week, once the order was placed. Perfect timing! With all the interest these Save the Date postcards would generate, there would certainly be more printing needs coming up in the few months prior to the event. In fact, Darleane fully expected that they’d have to do another print run on the Save the Date postcard.
Next, Darleane had to arrange for enough manpower to address and mail out all these soon-to-arrive Save the Date postcards. She hired some local college kids, with the promise that they would, of course, get a chance to meet Bobby Blaine in person before the show. They would also invite all their friends—who would have to buy the tickets—and those friends would bring more friends. Darleane was tops in her business because she thought of every angle, and then some, when it came to bringing in the audience. That was what she was hired for every time.
Finally, the first steps were all in place. A date was on the calendar. The internationally-known Bobby Blaine was ready and looking forward to headlining the biggest charity event to hit their area in years. The Save the Date postcards would be in hand in a few days. The help was secured, pens soon to be in hands and busy adding all the names and addresses far and wide of anyone who could possibly be there in attendance. Mary was handling all the minutest details—and had verified that their Save the Date postcards were just right.
Darleane smiled. She knew, she just knew, that from here on out, her planning efforts would flow smoothly. She was happy. The leaders of the community and the library were happy. Even Bobby Blaine was happy. And as soon as those Save the Date postcards were out and circulating, the community and an even wider-reaching audience would be happy.
Most importantly, though . . . the local shelter would benefit from all their hard work. Once again, Darleane was satisfied that she had contributed to the world’s community with her talents.
Postcard Design
Postcard Printing
Save the Date Magnets
Save the Date Postcards