Originally started July 4, 2008 as a way to celebrate troops' safe return home in conjunction with the patriotic spirit of Independence Day, BuildASign.com decided to give away 10,000 free banners to families interested in ordering one for their loved one.
Company executives figured it would take a few months before for the 10,000 banners were shipped out.
They were wrong.
"They were gone in two weeks," said Chelsea Staires, director of people operations.
"We had no idea how popular (the promotion) would be."
Due to the overwhelming success of the promotion, the company - based in Austin, Texas - decided to keep it open-ended.
By visiting www.buildasign.com/Troops, military families can order banners in two sizes, 2 x 4 and 3 x 6. There are more than 20 different styles to choose from, and users can also create their own design by following a step-by-step process on the site. Families pay only for shipping.
Word of the promotion has spread like wildfire over the last few years, mostly by word of mouth within the military family community.
"The military community is extremely well connected," Staires said. "We've been lucky in that we've had to do minimal marketing for it."
The signs are routinely such a hit that the company is flooded with letters and pictures - which it posts all over the office - from overjoyed families happy to have their troop back home.
"(The program) has become intensely personal for us because of the feedback," Staires said. "The thank you letters and the photos are extremely motivating."
BuildASign.com recommends placing an order about eight weeks before the deployed family member is due to return home. However, it also offers faster delivery options for those willing to pay more for it.
"I'll never forget the look of pride and satisfaction that our neighbor had when my family organized a surprise welcome home celebration upon his return from Iraq after Desert Storm," Andy Knopp, senior operations manager, said when the promotion kicked off. "It's so important to recognize the bravery and sacrifice that our friends and family members make when they serve in the military, and we're excited as a company to encourage and help provide that recognition."
Comments for "Free banners for troops returning home" (2)
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sarah madden said on Dec. 27, 2010 at 10:04am
i am thoroughly disappointed with the buildasign company, as i feel cheated out of this opportunity. my husband is returning home from deployment, so i wanted to use this website. i designed my banner and proceeded to the check out, and filled out my shipping information. after i did that, the shipping skyrocketed from 12.00 to nearly 40.00. and that is with waiting 3 weeks for it to arrive, not expedited. it was 25.00 for a 8 week wait. why? because i have an APO address. i am so sick of companies cheating us overseas military families out of everything, and now this company just adds to the list. if it weren't hard enough to be stationed 6,000 miles away from family for three years in a foreign country, some companies sure like to make it worse. now i guess my husband doesnt get a sign. thanks a lot.
marinewife said on May. 18, 2011 at 12:11pm
LOVE that they do this! me and several of my friends have used it! this is my first deployment so its been tuff. be aware for the really cheap shipping you need to order about 8 weeks in advance but my friends say it doesnt usually take that long. vista prints also does free things every so often!
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