Word of Mouth
Express bus service builds explosive sales and profitability
Situation: Paramus, N.J.-based Coach USA, a subsidiary of UK-based Stagecoach Group, selected Hanser & Associates in 2005 to launch Chicago-based megabus.com, the first company in North America to offer city-to-city express bus service with fares as low as $1 via the Internet. Megabus.com launched service in April 2006 from its Chicago hub and seven other [...]
Smashburger sizzles into Iowa
Situation: Smashguys, LLC, the Iowa franchisee of Denver, Colo.-based Smashburger, a fast-casual restaurant designed to be everybody’s favorite burger place, retained Hanser & Associates to manage their day-to-day communication and marketing in Iowa. PR Action: Smashburger’s first Iowa location opened in September 2009 in West Des Moines. To build pre-opening awareness and word of mouth, [...]
Public input supports city’s parks plan
Situation: Hanser & Associates was retained in 2000 to support the City of West Des Moines’ Parks staff and their landscape architecture consultant, Dunbar-Jones, to gather public input for updating the city’s Parks Master Plan. Please Register or Login to read the rest of this content.
Public input supports community/performing arts center
Situation: Hanser & Associates was retained in 2004-2005 to manage the overall process of forming an advisory committee and supporting all of the work of the committee – to assess the feasibility of a Community Center and Performing Arts Center that would be jointly operated by the City of West Des Moines and West Des [...]
PR/labor relations during strike maintains customer relations
Situation: Monroe, La.-based CenturyLink, the third largest telecommunications company in the United States, was formerly named Qwest Communications and US WEST. The company was faced with a labor strike by 36,000 members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in 1998. In Iowa, 1,900 workers were off the job. In CWA, US WEST was dealing [...]
Recycling campaign supports fee change – participation remained high
Situation: Metro Waste Authority is the waste processing agency for Central Iowa. In addition to managing the area’s solid and toxic waste disposal, Metro Waste Authority (MWA) administers the recycling program for Des Moines and most of its 14 suburbs. MWA retained Hanser & Associates for communication strategy and counsel when fee structures for recycling [...]
Hand-washing demonstrations/info encourage residents to prevent influenza
Situation: With flu season bearing down and a shortage of flu vaccine making headlines in fall of 2004, Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH), located in Kearney, Neb., wanted to inform the public in central Nebraska of the importance of proper hand washing to help prevent the spread of bacterial and viral infections. PR Action: Hanser & [...]
Gourmet grocer breaks into new “market”
Situation: The Market at Jordan Creek, a 24,000 square ft. gourmet destination, opened in April 2007 in West Des Moines to offer customers options such as take-home meals, catering, foods from local producers and specialty desserts. PR Action: The Market retained Hanser & Associates to implement an integrated marketing campaign led by public relations. The [...]
Food manufacturer expands in Midwest
Situation: What a Scoop! When Cleveland, Ohio-based Pierre’s French Ice Cream Company launched its Authentic Frozen Custard in the Midwest in summer 2002, Hanser & Associates spread the word via radio. Our Pinnacle Worldwide partner, Edward Howard & Co., called on the firm to build awareness and drive sales of Pierre’s rich, creamy frozen custard [...]
National franchisor expands in Midwest
Situation: Scottsdale, Arizona-based Massage Envy, with hundreds of locations nationwide, is the leading provider of massage therapy in the U.S. The company believes “every body deserves a great customized massage” because massage therapy relaxes muscles, easing and soothing aches and pains, and rejuvenates. Locally owned Massage Envy franchises provide affordable pricing. PR Action: Massage Envy’s [...]