November 2018 - SAM Agency Newsletter

Move over, Santa! There’s a new Christmas tradition that’s making its way from living rooms to dealerships.

This year, Strong is launching a wide-scale Elf on the Shelf program for social media clients. The program was piloted with select dealerships last year, but this will be the first time it is offered to all social clients.

Elven Details

If you’re wondering why we’re sending Christmas elves to dealers, the reasoning can be summed up in one word: engagement.

Not only does the elf engage employees and keep them thinking about social media, but it also provides fresh content that elicits a better response on social media. It’s seasonal, it’s adorable, and it has a special mix of novelty and familiarity. Dealerships that participated last year saw an up-to-80-percent increase in social media engagement.

Of course, the quality of these posts depends on the effort each dealer puts forth. That’s why Strong Social and Production have collaborated to create an Elf on the Shelf demo video full of examples. This video, along with a letter outlining the details, will be sent to dealers asking if they would like to participate. Elves will arrive in stores the week after Thanksgiving.

See for Yourself

Get in the spirit and see some of the creative ways dealers have used Elf on the Shelf in the past.

Your Elf on the Shelf is Arriving Soon! from Strong Automotive Merchandising on Vimeo.

For some, All Hallows’ Eve is unsettling. The spooky traditions and haunting legends are a little too real. For Laura Dobbs, it’s quite the inverse. Few holidays enchant her like Halloween. Keep reading as she shares her tale of Georgian mystery and tradition.

A Haunted Voyage

Anyone who’s met me, even in passing, knows how much I love Halloween. It just so happens that my best friend from childhood shares this passion, and we like to celebrate together.

She and I go every year to one of the best haunted houses in the country. It’s called Netherworld, and it’s located in an Atlanta suburb.

It’s become “our thing.” Our friends and families definitely do not understand. How can you go every year? Isn’t it the same every year? Aren’t you scared? Aren’t you too old for this stuff?

It’s a blast.
No. The attractions change every year.
Nope. Not ever. Not even when we went back for a special Zombie Survival event they did a couple of years ago and we got to shoot some pretty realistic zombies with modified M-1’s. And especially not when they did a special Christmas-themed event and decked out the attraction for the holidays!
How dare you ask that question!?!

Honestly, it’s a blast. And it doesn’t matter whether or not anyone else goes with us (various friends and family members have tagged along over the years). It’s something we enjoy, it keeps us connected, and we look forward to it all year.

Netherworld existed in a dinky little strip mall off of Jimmy Carter Boulevard for years. They retired that location last year and moved into a larger, newer facility in Stone Mountain back in the spring.

They also offer escape room games and have a museum of some of their most famous props, costumes, and décor. Many of their items have appeared in popular TV shows and movies.

The cast from the Walking Dead made a special trip up to ATL a few years ago just to go through the house!

If anyone is interested, they have two haunted attractions (the theme and décor for each “house” change every year). Here’s an article about the attraction and its owners. One of them is a former film makeup and FX artist.