Luke Thomas, Author at SAM Agency Newsletter

Kiara & Lindy: Strong’s February Fiancées

March 14, 2018September 12, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

There’s nothing like an engagement to bring people together in joy and jubilation. Already this year, the Strong family got to celebrate two new engagements not far from one another.

We asked Lindy McCullers and Kiara Cooper to share a piece of their engagement stories with us here.

Lindy’s Story

McCuller’s love story completed its circuit when she went on what was ostensibly a normal evening out at Gianmarco’s. Two year’s prior, she and her now-fiancé Archie had their first date at the same restaurant. As they walked out through the bordering garden, Archie paused to pick one of the blossoming flowers and gave it to McCullers as a token of affection.

Fast-forward to February 19, 2018, and they once again were enjoying dinner at Gianmarco’s. On their way in, Archie paused. McCullers, confused, implored him to continue into the restaurant. But he insisted that she take a look at the flowers near where he stood. When she acquiesced, he turned to face her – on one knee and ring in hand – and proposed in the same place where their love had first blossomed.

McCullers and her fiancé are set to wed on August 11, 2018.

Kiara’s Story

Cooper and her fiancé Jeffrey got engaged on February 23, 2018, the same day as Cooper’s birthday. Their wedding date is set for October 7, 2018.

The following is Cooper’s own account of her story with Jeffrey.

How We Met/Started Dating

Jeffrey and I met one fall Sunday in 2016. He came to visit my church with a mutual friend, and I was introduced to him after service ended. The group then went to grab lunch and, what do you know, he was there. Our mutual friend had just started a discipleship group, and I had made plans to be a part of it. During lunch, I discovered that Jeffrey was already part of the group, so we would be seeing one another every now and again – at least for the next couple of months.

Needless to say, Jeffrey and I became close friends throughout our discipleship. I really admired his wisdom, his eloquence, and his desire to help others as he strengthened his relationship with God.

We lost touch for a couple of months once the discipleship had ended, but he reached out to me on my birthday (February 23, 2017) and we reconnected. This time though, he made sure that I was aware that he wanted to turn our friendship into a relationship. After a couple months of courting, we officially started dating on April 18, 2017.

The Proposal

Jeffrey is a stickler for planning – which I absolutely love. So, naturally, he plans all of our dates. When my birthday came around, we both took off of work for the day and he was in charge of deciding how we’d celebrate. Of course, in typical Jeffrey fashion, the details of our date were a surprise. (I love surprises, but I always try to figure them out. I can’t help it.)

The day started off pretty normal. I spent the morning talking to my best friends and I hung out with my mom for a while before deciding what I’d wear for my date that night. (I was casually told to dress to impress, as we would be celebrating at a pretty nice place later in the evening). I’d suggested that we both wear all black, so I sorted through my wardrobe to find the perfect outfit. Once it was time for our date, we took my car and went to see a movie.

After the movie, he drove us to my favorite place, the Botanical Gardens. We walked around for a bit. Then, we went and sat on a bench near The Rose Garden and talked. He was acting a little weird, so I thought, “Is he about to propose right now? Hmm… This would actually be a good time.” (He didn’t). We left and headed to our next destination.

He had made reservations at Habitat Social & Feed. #Fancy! As soon as I set eyes upon this stunning restaurant, I was instantly taken aback. We sat down and enjoyed an absolutely amazing meal. At some point before we were seated, he had informed the managers of it being my birthday, and they were (in my opinion) being unusually nice to me. So again, I was thinking, “Okay. It’s definitely about to happen now. Someone’s probably going to bring out dessert or something with a ring in it.” (Nope – that didn’t happen).

He asked me to check the time and then quickly paid for our dinner. We had somewhere else to be and he was in a hurry. As we got to the car, he realized that he had left his personal set of keys at the Botanical Garden while we were there earlier, so we needed to rush back and get them before our next reservation. We drove back, and as we were pulling in, we noticed that the lights were already off and they were closing! We jumped out of the car and walked hurriedly toward the entrance. There was a security guard there preparing to close the gates, so our fast-paced walk turned into a run as we raced inside and headed toward The Rose Garden.

We got up the steps to the garden and my jaw dropped as I noticed the trail of candles leading toward its center. As we walked down the pavement hand-in-hand, I realized that there was a guitarist seated at the end of the trail, playing soft music. By the time we made it to the center of The Rose Garden, I was freaking out. It was really happening, and he’d actually caught me off guard! Then, he started singing our song! (Always and Forever by Heatwave). I heard footsteps behind me and he turned me around to see our friends, also dressed in all black, holding sunflowers (my favorite). The guys joined in to sing backup for the song. Then, they each handed me the sunflowers that they were holding. I turned back and Jeffrey was on one knee. He proposed!

My response? “Of course!”

Love From Strong

Everyone at Strong would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our two newest brides-to-be. We look forward to celebrating again at your showers!

Team Strong Supports Tennessee Educators

March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

When James Corlew Chevrolet made the decision to give away cars and diamonds, they knew they wanted a team from Strong there to witness it.

That’s how John Paul Strong, Joel Snead, and Andrew Taylor ended up at the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System Teacher of the Year Banquet this past month. Aside from publicizing the event, the team got to support JCC and local educators at a meaningful and unique celebration.

About the Awards

The CMCSS Red Carpet Awards took place on Thursday, Feb. 22. That afternoon, the team climbed aboard Strong Air to make the short flight to Clarksville, Tennessee. This was Taylor’s first time flying the company jet, but his apprehension was quickly replaced with mounting excitement.

The evening of the event, presenters took to the stage to read the accolades of the teacher nominees. Taylor captured the heartfelt moments, sharing them via JCC’s social media channels.

The pinnacle of the ceremony came when the three finalists were handed one small box each. As they opened them in unison, two discovered apple-shaped diamond necklaces, and the Teacher of the Year winner found not a diamond, but a key. The prize for this year’s winner was a new Chevy Spark, donated by James Corlew Chevrolet.

Take-Aways from Client Interaction

Snead and Taylor both enjoyed and learned from the experience of meeting the clients behind JCC.

“When you meet a client, the most important thing to do is be yourself,” Snead said. “Once they put a name with a face, I find that they tend to be more responsive afterward, too.”

Taylor had similarly positive sentiments.

“It’s good to get direct feedback from a client, to ask them if they like what we’re doing and see how we can improve,” Taylor said.

Overall, the trio represented Strong well and helped document a meaningful moment for the people of Clarksville.

21 Days in the Dark

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

The beginning of the year is a popular time to try your hand at something novel. We take on new habits, new resolutions, new gym memberships – the list goes on. But something that’s often overlooked this time of year is the value of cutting out the fat.

This is the task that Account Team Coordinators Kelsey Stamps and Elisabeth Broome resolved to take on. In conjunction with their church’s 21-day New Year’s food fast, the pair went against the Millennial grain and swore off social media for most of the month. It wasn’t easy, but what they gained from the experience far outweighs the temporary lack of likes.

Origins of the Fast

Each year, Church of the Highlands holds a 21-day fast starting the first Sunday in January. As members, Stamps and Broome decided to participate together.

The fasting can involve a form of food fasting or abstinence from a particular behavior. In its most extreme version, fasters drink only water, or a combination of juice and water. Broome opted for the Daniel Fast, a diet comprised only of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, juices, and water. Stamps decided to start with just social media this year.

“We do 21 days because that’s about how long it takes to create a habit,” Broome said. “The pastor encourages you to give up something in addition to food, especially something you do in excess. By creating a new habit, you’ll have better control over it once you bring it back into your life.”

Cutting the Cord

With fresh resolve, Broome and Stamps checked their feeds one last time, then deleted their social lives for the next three weeks – figuratively speaking, at least.

“To be honest, it was not something I enjoyed,” Stamps admitted. “It was very hard, and it’s supposed to be hard. Broome was my accountability partner, and without her I couldn’t have done it. Having someone to reaffirm that you’re staying true to the fast every day is a huge help. We’re both in the same boat, after all.”

The two social media stars left a noticeable void in the interwebs. Broome’s grandmother called to make sure she was still alive, and Stamps also had several friends text to check on her well-being.

“You don’t realize how much of your life you give to these apps until they’re gone,” Stamps said. “I had a ton of extra time in my day. And out of everything, I mostly just missed seeing photos of my friends’ kids since social media is how I stay connected with their lives.”

Needless to say, the fast wasn’t all diamonds and rosé. Broome lamented the FOMO she felt whenever people asked if she had seen a piece of news on social media. Stamps also felt the draw, but pushed back by not letting herself anywhere near the forbidden networks.

“It sounds silly, but I got Lindsay to send me social media links for eCampaign UTM codes because I didn’t trust myself to get on Facebook,” Stamps said. “This is my third time attempting a social fast, so I was determined to see it though!”

Stamps recounted that her personal life had never felt as vibrant as when she was on the fast.

“I remember going to lunch with my mom, and she told me how nice it was to actually talk to me and not have me on my phone,” Stamps said. “We don’t realize it as much because it’s a way of life for our generation, but for people our parents’ age, it’s still somewhat new. They can see the obtrusiveness of it.”

Logging Back On

After a three-week hiatus, both Stamps and Broome rejoined to socialsphere and caught up on more than a few notifications. Yet, while the fast is done, the lessons they learned are far from forgotten.

“By cutting out food and social media, I learned how to fuel myself through God’s word instead of junk food and likes,” Broome said. “Some people say these fasts have changed their lives, marriages, or led to huge decisions. For me, it wasn’t so dramatic. This was just a positive way to start the year.”

Stamps and Broome admitted that they did both have a “crutch” during the fast. For Stamps, it was Pinterest. She likened it to a Google Image search rather than a true social network. Broome chose Snapchat, though she only used the send-and-receive feature, not the Stories.

Above all, these two Account Team friends chose to start 2018 by proving to themselves that, no matter how difficult, if they set their minds to a task, then they will prevail.

Okay Google: How is Strong Reaching New Clients?

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

In December, it’s common to see people traveling for one holiday excursion or another. This was the case for Nathan Phillips and Josh Bradish. The two traveled to New Orleans, Dallas, and Houston, but it wasn’t simply to spread Christmas cheer. Rather, it was part of a much larger plan that provides invaluable training to dealer groups and puts Strong Automotive Merchandising in front of a very large and captive audience.

Strong’s Top-Down Training Approach

If you’ve ever noticed the “Google Premier Partner” badge on the bottom of your email signature, you may have questioned the meaning behind the button. Phillips explained that the Google Premier Partner status affords Strong several advantages, such as early access to changes in advertising programs and beta testing of new products.

It’s exclusive, too. According to Phillips’ research, only 3 percent of agencies that work with Google achieve this status.

It was through this Premier partnership that Phillips and the Digital Department became masters of the new Google Playbook before it was released to the general public. When Bradish found this out, it lead to an idea.

“Josh has connections with a lot of Honda dealers and the Honda corporate office from his time as a dealer,” Phillips said. “That’s how the idea came about to offer Google Playbook training to groups of Honda dealers. The book is about 30 pages long, so we’re offering an easy-to-digest version that they can implement today.”

Quid Pro Quo

The idea is genius. Bradish and Phillips travel to Southeast Honda conferences, present in front of a room full of automotive dealers, and offer free training on the best online advertising strategies. Many of those in attendance manage multiple dealerships, so Strong is able to share knowledge and seize a marketing opportunity all at once.

The trip didn’t come without a few bumps in the road, however. When Bradish and Philips arrived at their first presentation, they were stunned to discover that Google employees were wrapping up an official Playbook presentation right before the Strong session was set to begin. After a moment’s panic over giving a redundant speech, the guys decided to gear their presentation toward tier-3 only. After all, that is Strong’s specialty.

This honing-in technique allowed Bradish and Phillips to present an extremely applicable version of the Playbook. Topics like eliminating display ad waste, using YouTube pre-roll, and creating landing pages made sense to dealers, and the bite-sized version made for an easy pill to swallow.

No Plans on Stopping

Bradish and Phillips’ training sessions were a hit. So much so, that the team plans to continue this sort of training throughout 2018. The goal is to expand to other brands and digital teams throughout the year.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone at Strong, the agency is able to maintain its Premier Partner status and keep using it to stay one step ahead.

Five Questions You’d Probably Never Ask

February 5, 2018February 6, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

If you’ve been keeping up with the employee roster, you’ll notice it’s been expanding almost every week. With all of the fresh faces around the office, it’s nice to peel back the onion a bit and learn more about those who have just joined Team Strong.

The following are highlights from a January new employee survey. The questions may be outside of the box, but the answers are even better.

Michele Lee

What was your childhood nickname? Macdaddyshell – I know it’s a weird childhood nickname, but a neighborhood boy started calling me that and now sometimes my family and friends still call me “Mac” for short.
What are three things still left on your bucket list? 1. Travel combo to Italy, South Korea, and Greece. 2. Become fluent in another language – maybe Spanish or Mandarin. 3. Have one of my photographs published.
What is the worst pet you’ve ever had? A naughty pup named Spottie Dottie. She would go around the neighborhood and steal people’s shoes.
What job did you have in high school? Arby’s when I turned 15. My first paycheck was $50 and I thought I was so cool making my own money.
What is your favorite family tradition? Attending the North Carolina Hmong New Year with my family and wearing our traditional Hmong clothes. It’s typically held during Thanksgiving.

Tim Jankowski

Can you play an instrument? I can play the keyboard. I took organ lessons as a child and later transferred those skills to a more practical instrument.
What job did you have in high school? Assistant to the Public Library Investigator keeping track of overdue library books
Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve ever met, and how did it happen? I met Ronald Reagan at a campaign rally before he became president when I was nine. In my twenties, I encountered but did not “meet” Michael Jackson at a comic book store in Hollywood.
What is the coolest thing you’re working on right now outside of work? I have recently started trying to write country songs (lyrics only). So far, I have written about a dozen of them.
What are you looking forward to most in 2018? My tax refund.

Taylor Oates

What is the last book you read, and what was your biggest takeaway from it? The Alchemist, it taught me how to balance things in life.
What is the coolest thing you’re working on right now outside of work? I got an iPad and Apple pencil recently, so I’m drawing more and making cartoons, which is challenging but cool!
What is your favorite family tradition? Every year on Thanksgiving, my family goes to the beach!
Can you play an instrument? If so, which one, and how did you learn? I used to. I played the clarinet in elementary school and haven’t picked it up since.
Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve ever met, and how did it happen? When I was in middle school, I met Chris Brown when he first started his career. My dad was friends with his manager at the time and let my friends and me meet him after the concert. He was nice and danced the whole time we were with him – which was funny.

Saban & Strong: A Force that Drives

January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

By Luke Thomas

If there’s one voice that is unmistakable in the state of Alabama, it’s that of University of Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban.

When you hear that cadence and Southern-soaked accent, it’s hard not to give it your full attention. For Strong, Christmas weekend was the first time the famed coach would enter Midtown Studio. And while this was the third shoot that Saban has done with our Production team, having him in-house was no small deal.

The saga began in October with a plan to promote the coach’s latest endeavor.

Saban is co-owner of a new, ultra-luxury Mercedes-Benz dealership being built off of Grants Mill Road in Birmingham. This dealership will serve as the state’s first true, state-of-the-art high-line dealership, elevating the surrounding area to a new level of luxury. To promote its opening, the owners, as well as the team at Strong, knew there was only one man for the job.

“The owners knew they wanted Saban to be heavily associated with the dealership,” Reid said. “The challenge was convincing them that we could do this shoot quickly and professionally, as the coach is a very busy man. We also had to show that we could provide creative that matched the luxury theme of the store. This type of advertising is totally different than the majority of tier-three.”

After several rounds of script revisions and spec spots, the team found the winning words.

“To do these spec spots, we had to find a Saban impersonator,” Reid said. “Which, as you can imagine, are basically nonexistent. But, we eventually found a guy with a deep enough voice.”

Reid and the team developed a TV and radio campaign that would use Saban’s voice to form a series of ads leading up to the grand opening in February. Each ad built upon the last and hammered in concepts like customer priority, attention to quality, and guaranteed excellence.

“We really wanted to emphasize that this is Saban’s store,” Reid said. “He only puts his name on the best.”

The shoot resulted in four TV spots and one radio spot for January, with another round building into February. Keep your ears open, and you might just catch one.

What We Learned From Zappos

January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

By Luke Thomas

Ending up in a Las Vegas jail cell will inevitably change your way of thinking.

That was certainly the case for Strong’s executive team. But this visit to jail wasn’t the result of your typical Vegas shenanigans. Instead, the team went to better understand the workings behind one of the greatest company cultures in the US.

In June of 2017, Robin Smith, Sheila Grandy, and Gayle Rogers set out to discover what makes Zappos so different. The campus, located in an old municipal building and jail, offers tours as well as education packages for companies seeking to learn from the Zappos culture model. The Strong team opted for the Q&A package, allowing them to meet with representatives from three different departments. They chose to study culture, employee relations, and employee engagement.

Learning the Zappos Way

Before the questioning began, the group was treated to a tour of the facility. They described perks like ever-changing wall art, on-campus bicycles, and a ball pit that Rogers dove into.

“While we didn’t tour the call center, we learned that it is the largest employee area on the campus,” Smith said. “Most employees start out there, and everyone works in the center at some point during the holidays – even the owner.”

During the tour, the team took note of the Core Values signs posted around the office. When they asked about them, the Zappos guide explained that they are to hold everyone accountable. This way, employees can encourage each other and refer back to the values if their team starts to misalign.

This was the beginning of a long and thorough process that brought about the We Are Strong items that were presented at Strong’s year-launch meeting.

“We spent hours working on these values,” Smith said. “We needed them to fit Strong’s culture, not just transpose Zappos’. These are all basic and apparent values, but the more they are put in front of us, the more they will be at the forefront of our minds.”

Bringing it Back Home

Defining SAM’s culture is one of the most recent implementations from the trip. The Strong Shout Outs and SAM 60 flex hours were also inspired by Zappos. Strong has been committed to providing many extra perks to employees, some of which Zappos may actually steal from us!

When asked about the future, Grandy hinted that there are more things to come that will further emphasize We Are Strong. She also stated that the company is putting a strong focus on developing even better relationships between teams and departments.

“Cultivating a positive employee experience is always an ongoing process,” Grandy said. “John Paul and Mike are committed to changing the company culture as the agency continues to grow.”

But First, Vegas

This trip wasn’t all work and no play. It is Vegas, after all. The team enjoyed a roller coaster ride and dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.

“It was fun to do something outside of work together,” Grandy said. “Even though we work side-by-side a lot, it helped our dynamic to go on this adventure.”

Overall, the team had a blast and brought back some valuable new strategies that are starting to show here at Strong. Luckily for us, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas!

Dealing with Desk Pain

January 3, 2018January 4, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

by Luke Thomas

A desk job can be deceiving. On the surface, sitting in an adjustable, ergonomic chair for most of the day seems good for the body. But as many of us have discovered, it can often cause pain, tightness, and even fatigue if done improperly. In fact, Chicago-based sports chiropractor Dr. Krystal Drwencke revealed that desk work can be as hard as manual labor on some areas of the body.

In the office, we know it’s important to walk with purpose, but it’s also important to sit with purpose. – Casey Quattlebaum

The good news is that pain from deskwork is easily prevented. Read on to discover the causes of this discomfort, and what other Strong employees have been doing to avoid it.

What Causes the Pain?

Here are some of the most common problem areas and the behaviors associated with them.

Neck/Spinal Pain – Usually, neck pain is caused by not holding your head in line with your spine. You can see in the photo above that the relative weight of your head increases from 11 lbs to a whopping 60 lbs when looking all the way down. While you may not be at a full 60-degree angle, you could still be looking down at your computer screen, causing the relative weight of your skull to double or even triple.
Lower Back Pain – If your lower back is giving you trouble, it’s likely not getting the support it needs. While Strong’s office chairs are designed to provide ergonomic lumbar support, this may not be enough depending on your height and build. Having weak core muscles and crossing your legs while sitting can also lead to lower back strain.
Shoulder/Upper Back Pain – The trapezius and rhomboid muscles are the culprits here. Not having your monitor directly in front of you, positioning your keyboard too far away, and hunching your shoulders forward can cause pain and knots in between the shoulders and all along the upper portion of the body. Tight pectoral muscles are caused by and exacerbate the issue, too.

How to Relieve the Pain

There are a few quick fixes that you can use to relieve deskwork pain.

In the Graphics department, both Emily Johnson and Sheryl Jones are fans of self-myofascial release.

“I use a foam roller to work out tight muscles all down the back and front of my legs, side of my hips, and even my stomach and hip flexors,” Jones said.

Johnson mentioned using a tennis ball for a more concentrated form of self-massage, which is particularly useful for targeting pain and tightness between the shoulder blades. This is a technique also recommended by Strong’s monthly massage therapists. They recommend placing the ball in a long tube sock to make it easier to reach the back area. By placing the ball between your back and a wall, you can apply steady, targeted pressure to problem areas. The key to finding relief is to linger when you find a knot or trigger point, then breathe through the hold and try to relax into the ball. This will allow the ball to massage deeper into the muscle and relieve the tension that’s causing the pain.

Jones also does a lot of stretch work to help relieve and prevent her lower back pain. She recommends the Cat Pose from yoga, leg raises with resistance bands, and taking a brief stretch break once or twice a day to break up your sitting. Another way to relieve lower back pain without even leaving your desk is to gently rock your pelvis front-to-back a few times. This will loosen up tight back muscles and increase blood flow to the area.

To relieve neck pain, try releasing your neck down and looking to one side. Make sure to leave the opposite arm loose by your side, and you should feel a stretch in your neck and trapezius muscles.

Casey’s Pain Prevention Method

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Casey Quattlebaum offered some advice for maintaining a healthy desk posture. After recovering from a ruptured spinal disk eight years ago, she places a lot of importance on proper alignment.

“A big tip is to keep your core engaged at all times,” Quattlebaum said. “If you keep everything sucked in, your posture will naturally straighten up. Also, keep your feet flat on the floor, and don’t slump into the phone if you don’t have a headset. Another trick I use is to swap my mouse position every month. This keeps me from leaning too much on one arm over time. I also placed filing trays underneath my monitors so that they’re raised to eye-level. This keeps me from looking down and putting a strain on my neck.”

One of the best pieces of advice Quattlebaum gave was to sit with purpose.

“In the office, we know it’s important to walk with purpose, but it’s also important to sit with purpose,” Quattlebaum said. “Being aware of your posture and letting it reflect your determination will help you avoid slouching or reclining too hard.”

A Few More Tips

In addition to Quattlebaum’s posture suggestions, there are a couple of more techniques you can use for correcting bad posture and the discomfort that it produces. For lower back pain, try placing a small pillow behind your back for additional lumbar support. Jones also found that a slightly elevated footrest helps with this.

For shoulder and upper back pain, consider doing a few minutes of pectoral stretches every day. This video explains how to do so using only a doorframe. Slouchy shoulders cause the pectoral muscles to become tight and pull on the rhomboid (back) muscles, so by stretching the pecs out, you’ll lessen the related tightness in your back.

If you have any tips of your own for staying comfortable at your desk, share them in the comments below!

What is Turkeys for Troops?

December 6, 2017May 15, 2018 Luke ThomasLeave a comment

by Luke Thomas

Anyone who has been at Strong through a Thanksgiving season has heard of Toyota of Boerne’s famous Turkeys for Troops event. It’s a turkey giveaway, that much is clear, but what exactly goes into it, and why is it such an extensive production?

The Gist of the Event

Turkeys for Troops debuted at Toyota of Boerne in 2009 when Vic Vaughan learned about the Thanksgiving-themed giveaway, aimed at supporting those who have served in the armed forces. Originally, the local H-E-B grocery chain refused to sell him what – at turkeys walmart man.jpg the time – seemed like an absurdly large number of turkeys. Then, Walmart stepped in to work out a deal.

TOB’s event began with 500 turkeys. This year, that number reached 6,680.

Active and retired military personnel begin lining up at the dealership as early as 7 a.m. The turnout was so large that the Enterprise location across the street reported not being able to deliver on their “We’ll Pick You Up” slogan due to the traffic the event caused.

Volunteers from local organizations and military groups hand out frozen turkeys to two lanes of oncoming cars, which keeps the line moving quickly.

When the lines finally close, some of the leftover turkeys are left for people to pick up after-hours. The rest are donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.

Mike Shaw Toyota Joins In

For the first time ever, Strong handled two Turkeys for Troops promotions in tandem. turkeys mike shaw Mike Shaw Toyota joined the group, giving away about 500 turkeys per hour. In all, 2,100 turkeys were given away by the day’s end. This event was perfect for Shaw, as he himself is a Vietnam veteran.

Strong Lends A Hand

Since its inception, Strong has handled the promotion of Turkeys for Troops. This year, Amelia, Luke, Elisabeth, and Connie jetted off to Boerne to capture live video, interviews, and photos for social media.

The team used a full arsenal of tactics, including custom-made hashtag tees, prize giveaways, check-in contests, and live streaming.

Gayle and Megan L. handled MST’s social promotion, with the support of Mary-Kate, Andrew, and Shara here at home base. The team is happy to report that, despite the onslaught of turkey media coming through on the same day, no mix-ups were made, and both dealerships received much positive interaction from the promotion.

A Truly Great Cause

turkeys military hero Seeing an event like this first-hand leaves no doubt about the authenticity behind it. In Boerne, Vic Vaughan spent all day among the crowds talking with volunteers, veteran groups, and military personnel to thank them for their service. Later, Wells Fargo and the Military Warriors Support Foundation gave away a mortgage-free home to a wounded veteran and his family.

In Corpus Christi, the same heartfeltness was present. Shaw himself was filmed shaking hands and thanking each of the cars coming through the line. As someone with a veteran background, it’s clear he values the real meaning behind this giveaway.