Two years ago Social Media Connected went after the “Big business of the Year Award” for Cook’s Lobster House and Cook’s received the award. It was a fantastic PR punch that brought a great deal of recognition to the business. This year Social Media Connected applied for two awards from the Maine restaurant Association. The Restaurant of the Year award and the Life time achievement award. I am happy to report we were informed that Curt Parent will receive the Life Time Achievement Award at the awards dinner in April of 2012. The Maine Restaurant Association will send a professional camera crew to produce a film about Curt and his business. The film will be featured on their website for a year not to mention the newspaper articles, postings at the food expo and word of mouth exposure.

Below is the letter that I sent in on behalf of Cook’s Lobster House and Curt Parent.

To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to nominate Curt Parent for the lifetime achievement award. I would also like to nominate Cook’s Lobster House for the Maine Restaurant of the Year Award. Curt and his family have owned Cook’s Lobster House Restaurant and Lobster Shipping Company since 1955. Cook’s Lobster House is an icon to the Mid Coast Maine area. Cooks draws thousands of visitors and Mainers to the region by its name recognition. In 1997 Cook’s Lobster House was one of only 7 businesses in the nation selected to be featured in the world wide visa commercial.  Home Of The International Visa Commercial . Cook’s promotion of the beauty and natural resources that Harpswell has to offer has helped to make Harpswell a destination vacation spot. Tour boats, charters, walking trails, beaches and the local businesses are all promoted on Cook’s Lobster House’s social media sites. Cook’s also puts on and pays for the 4^th of July fireworks that are displayed on its point of land.

Cook’s Lobster has been voted the #1 Seafood Restaurant in Mid Coast Maine since 1995 along with being “1996 Editor’s Pick” for Yankee Magazine.

Cook’s was awarded the Big Business of the Year award by the Southern Mid Coast Maine Chamber Of Commerce in 2010

Curt understands the importance of giving back to the community. He has his management participate actively in the local business organizations. Cook’s managers are on the board of directors of the Harpswell Business Association and the marketing committee of the Southern Mid Coast Chamber. Cook’s is a member of the Maine Restaurant Association, The Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Maine Tourism Association, The Southern Mid Coast Chamber, The Harpswell Business Association and a host of other great organization in Maine. Curt also has the restaurant support local charities and organizations like the local fire department and even has hosted its own Christmas party’s to raise money for the Harpswell Home Heating Assistance Program. http://cookslobsterhouse.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/2009-donator-list/

Curt has coached The Mid coast Youth Hockey Team for 9 years and was the Vice President of the organization for 4 of those years. In addition Cook’s has sponsored the Mid Coast Youth Hockey Team for 30 years. Curt also during the same time period coached the Brunswick Middle school Hockey Team From 2006 to 2009. The Brunswick Team won the Southern Middle School championship in 2007 while Curt was coach. Curt also coached the Brunswick Carl Ripken Baseball team for 6 years and was a director for four of those years.

Cook’s employs near 100 people over the course of the year, providing a stable income for the areas local population. Curt personally directs the shipping of over 2 million pounds of lobster to Canada. This Maine lobsters gets processed and shipped throughout the world. Cook’s provide safe docking and storage for Maine lobstermen. Cook’s shipping part of the business helps lobstermen throughout the region keep a steady market for their catch of Maine lobster.

Cook’s Lobster House is concerned with keeping Maine and the environment pristine and economically viable. During the summer months Cook’s has a sea life educational tank that helps educate, by hands on fun, the importance of the marine environment and sea life to Maine.

Curt’s dedication to Maine and sustaining the Maine lobster industry. Curt’s giving to the community personally and by his employees. Curt’s dedication to the local kids and community. Curt’s continuous success in the restaurant and lobster industry, are the reasons I am nominating Curt Parent for the life time achievement award and Cook’s Lobster House for the Restaurant of the year award.

Thanks you for your consideration,

Peter Boisvert

Cook’s Lobster House

207-833-2818

The bottom line is GO FOR IT. Let the world know who you are and what you have done. It will pay off with large dividends.

If Social Media Connected can assist in your efforts to get the word out about you or your business, please give us a call at 207-729-4746 or

email us at: socialmediaconnected@comcast.net

I look forward helping you or your business receive the recognition you deserve.

Leo was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. His family was his life. He was a veteran of the Korean War and a member of the American Legion. He was also a member of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Bar Harbor, and Knights of Columbus. Leo worked as a barber for 18 years and for 32 years owned and operated Acadia Restaurant, Bar Harbor. He was active in bowling and enjoyed his time at Harvey and Mary Walls camp, their good friends and in Florida vacationing during the winter.

Leo is survived by his beloved wife, Pierrette (Boulanger) Boisvert, whom he just celebrated 59 years of marriage with Oct. 18, 2011; two sons, Paul Boisvert and wife, Linda, of Hancock and Peter Boisvert and wife, Susan, of Brunswick; one daughter, Denise Daugherty and husband, Rick; and a son-in-law, William Thurston, all of Bar Harbor; nine grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Claude Boisvert; daughter, Dorothy Thurston; and one brother, Roger.

Friends are invited to call 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Jordan-Fernald, 48 Eden St., Bar Harbor. A memorial Mass will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Bar Harbor, with Father John O’Hara, celebrant. Interment will be at Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Bar Harbor. Contributions in Leo’s memory may be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.

A poem to my dad

Strong and true safe harbor provided

My Dad The Anchor of Our Family

Attached to the ship in truth, loyalty and devotion

The members of the crew feel secure when set
wind, rain, the pull of tide does not prevail
The finest of material made
The ship itself pulling in all directions
will not dislodge the firm placement
How happy, how safe, how full life given
To a ship large but fragile
The ship, The crew hoist you up in honor
To thank you for your tireless service.

A tribute to my dad
I love you dad.

Press here for a video taken of mom and dad in June 2011.

A Veterans funeral for my dad He served during the Korean War

Click to view slideshow.

Written by Fr. Matt Temple, O.Carm., October 19, 2011

Here are some stats for our social media efforts: Cooks is #1 in Google search for “Maine Lobster Restaurant”.

Cooks website had 71996 page hits or 685 page hits a day from 6/1/11 to9/15/11.

Cooks blog is very active with over 29000 visits to date and showing a steady growth month to month peaking this July with over 90 hits per day.

Facebook Fans total 1730.

Cook’s Lobster House in house club, “Cook’s Club” is very active with over 600 members.

Cooks is active with local business groups, having management on the Harpswell Business Association Board of Directors and The Mid Coast Chamber Marketing Committee.

These are some of the results that have come about because of a plan that Social Media Connected designed and implemented for Cook’s Lobster House.

If you and your Company are in need of these kinds of results then give me a call at: 207-729-4746 Or email me at: socialmediaconnected@comcast.net

You say you can’t afford to do it. I say can you afford not to do it.

No Job Is To Small

Silent Auction Items

Baskets:

Candy basket from the Island Candy Company, Harpswell Maine

Marine
Aluminum boat, 4 hp outboard motor, trailer: total value $1000   SEE PHOTO BELOW!
16 foot Old Town Canoe: value $250    SEE PHOTO BELOW!
One man LL Bean Loon Kayak: value $100   SEE PHOTO BELOW!
Bamforth Marine: Crocdile clips, LED Flashlights, Reel for two rope, ski bridle, Type V PDF vest,
Signal Stat Mirrors, value $15-42, $250 total donation
H2Outfitters: 30 min kayak trips (3 trips), value $60 each

Art
“Cribstone Bridge with moonrise” (valued at $200)
“Chambered Nautilus” pencil sketch by Charlie Tirrell (value $100)
“Autumn Pond” water color (value $350) SEE PHOTO BELOW!
“Maine Rustic Truck” Giclee Print 4/1000 (value $250) SEE PHOTO BELOW!
“Sea View Fiber Collage” Giclee Print by Linda Spalding (value $250) SEE PHOTO BELOW!
“Flower Petal Collage” Giclee print, (value $125) SEE PHOTO BELOW!
Handmade paper mache hens from Zimbabwe, donated from Indrani’s, $11.00
Hand knit silk mohair scarf
Hand knit beaded scarf

Hand knit Afgan

Garden
Raised Bed Garden, includes all materials, seeds, soil and labor from “My First Tomato” value $199.00
Stainless Steel Compost Pail, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, $40.00

Auto

Don Foshay Tire Tire Rotation and Balance: value, $80.00

Hotels
One night’s Lodging at Courtyard by Marriott, Portland Airport Hotel: value $159.00

Salon
Elizabeth Two nail salon: $50.00 Gift Certificate
Straz Hairsalon: Salon Shampoo and Conditioner, value $30.00
Shear Body, Gift Certificate

Sports
Bicycle Helment, Adult, Blue from Center Street Cycle, value $30.00
Slot car Place: 6-30 min Track time Gift certificates, value $10 each
Bowling Bowl, Candlepin Bowling, Four games, 2 drinks, 2 chips, 2 shoe rentals, value $18.00

Great Gift Certificates!
$100 Cooks Lobster House gift certificate
Gulf of Maine Books $20.00 gift certificate
$25 i-tunes gift card
Bart and Greg’s: 5 movie rental coupon value $15.00
Brunswick Variety, Gift Certificate

Teen Labor!
The DI teens will take care of your daytime chores and free you for a night out with babysitting!

AND LOTS MORE!!!

A special thanks to Cook’s lobster House for donating the food and to Pepsi for donating the bottle water and soda for the Dinner.

Family Fun Night and Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction

The Brunswick Maine High School Destination ImagiNation Team is having a spaghetti dinner/Silent Auction on Friday May 20th from 5-9pm to raise money for there trip to the Global finals.

Menu: Caesar Salad, Rolls and butter, Spaghetti with meat or vegetarian sauce, Home made desserts, Coffee, soda and bottled water.

Where: Masonic Hall  65 Baribeau Dr.  Brunswick, Maine

Press on the fork and knife and press directions

View Larger Map

Activities: Spaghetti Dinner ( 5-9pm )

                     Silent Auction   ( To donate items call 729-4746 ) or more information

                    Children’s Activities

                    Destination ImagiNation Demo

                   Line Dancing

Cost: Adults $8

Children $5

Family Pack $25  ( 2 adults and up to 4 children )

Please Help Our Team Make It To The Global Finals!

For more information about the Brunswick High School DI Teams pursuit of the global title press this link.

Destination ImagiNation Website

Can You Help Send the Brunswick High School Teams To Globals?

To donate money make check payable to Brunswick High School Destination AmagiNation and mail to David Merrill at Brunswick High School  116 Maquoit Rd. Brunswick Maine 04011.

Print Donation Form

To donate items for the silent auction contact me for pick up at 729-4746 Or Email: pboisvert1@comcast.net

Information on the spaghetti dinner and family fun night

And silent auction items.

I am asking for your support for an extraordinary group of young people attending the Brunswick High School.
These students participate in Destination ImagiNation – a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving.
The students for whom I am asking your support have presented their solutions to challenges at regional and state competitions and have been selected, as top teams in their division, to represent Maine at the Global competition held in Knoxville, Tennessee, on May 25-28, 2011.
These students have succeeded admirably and independently to reach this level, and now, they need your support
to continue. The anticipated cost for sending twelve students, two adult team managers, and all their gear to
Knoxville is nearly $15,000 and we have just a few weeks to raise these funds.
The teams and their parents have developed a plan to raise the necessary funds. The plan includes solicitation of corporate donations, a silent auction, dinner, yard sale, personal appeal to family and friends, and other events as needed and for which time allows.
Your organization can help these young people to accomplish their goal and to attend the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals. Ways you can help include:
 Cash – always the most direct form of support  ( Instructions at top of page )
 Donation for silent auction  ( Contact Peter Boisvert for pick up or information )
 Promotion of the dinner and silent auction on May 20, in corporate newsletter or email
What will you get for your support? For your cash or merchandise donation valued at:
 $10-$49 – a signed photograph from both teams, suitable for framing and displaying at your place of business.
 $50-$149 – your company name on the team shirt, which will be worn at the Global Finals and around town by all team members, and the signed photograph from both teams.
 $150-$499 – your company name on a DI Sponsor plaque to be put on display at the High School with the team trophies from the State and (hopefully) Global competitions, your company name on the team shirt, and the signed photographs.
 $500 and up – your company name at the top of the DI Sponsor plaque, company name and logo on team shirts, and the signed photographs for display at your place of business.
All sponsors will also be publicly thanked in The Times Record and the school newsletter.
Buy supporting this effort, you are also sending an important message to these and other young people who strive to succeed both in and out of school – that businesses support and encourage the initiative, drive and personal sacrifice demonstrated by these extraordinary young people.
Please consider what your company can do to help.
Thank you for your support!

What is Destination ImagiNation?
Destination ImagiNation, Inc. “DI” is an extraordinary non-profit organization that provides educational programs
for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving. Every year, DI reaches 100,000
students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries. The core of DI is an educational program in which
student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. Teams are tested to think
on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the Challenges.
Participants gain more than just basic knowledge and skills—they learn to unleash their imaginations and take
unique approaches to problem solving.
The underpinnings of Destination ImagiNation’s work in creativity, teamwork and problem solving were
developed in collaboration with the world-renowned Center for Creative Learning. Today, Destination
ImagiNation has an extensive global network and a devoted staff to carry out its programs. It stands among the
world’s most progressive institutions in creativity and innovation, and it seeks to revitalize the educational
experience of students around the world.
Destination ImagiNation, Inc. dedicates itself to enriching the global community by providing opportunities for
learners of all ages to explore and discover unlimited creative potential through teamwork, cooperation and
mutual respect.
Destination ImagiNation, Inc. began in the summer of 1999, when nearly 200 international volunteers united to
create a global creative problem solving program that would provide students with an exciting, joyful and
supportive experience. Less than a year later, more than 100,000 students had participated in the program.
National corporate sponsors of Destination ImagiNation include: 3M, National Dairy Council, AEM Construction
/ Volvo Construction Equipment, Motorola Foundation, Ameresco Canada, IBM, GE; and past sponsors Velcro
USA, Best Buy Children’s Foundation, Philips Consumer Electronics, Saputo Cheese, Bank of America, NASA,

Thank You For Your Help

Stephanie Slocum Talks to Harpswell Business Association

The Harpswell Maine Business Association had it’s annual meeting on March 9th at the Harpswell Inn. The guest speaker was Stephanie Slocum. Stephanie is the director of the Brunswick Downtown Association. Stephanie was director of the B.D.A. in 2003-2004 and then moved on to help develop the Freeport  and Virgina Business Associations. She has returned to Brunswick and has revitalized the B.D.A. You can feel the excitement in her voice as she talks about the community she serves.

Stephanie spoke to the H.B.A. about the master plan for the downtown corridor and how the B.D.A was working with the town to improve and move along the progress of the plan. Some of the target points of the B.D.A is the retention of existing businesses, attracting new diversified business and improving the visual appeal of Brunswick. The B.D.A talks to the businesses in Brunswick to hear the concerns and ideas that they have to improve the climate of the town for conducting business. Stephanie would like to see expanded events and activities by collaborating with non profits, the art community and the historical society. Stephanie is looking at marketing initiatives to bring to the attention of Mainers and tourist, the resources available to them right here in the Brunswick/Harpswell Area. Brunswick being the gateway, with it’s rich collection of culture, fine restaurants, museums and shopping, to the coastal community of Harpswell , with its fine Inns, restaurants, rich history, and vibrant water related activities. Harpswell has the largest coastline of any town in the US.

Cultural cooperation to build a greater brand for the Brunswick/Harpswell area based on art, history, events, day trips, Water activities, and a host of other mutually beneficial draws to make both communities stronger. Marketing this cooperation is the key. With strong development at the Main Street Train Station and the Brunswick Naval Air Station, the signs of success are here. This cooperation can help to bill Brunswick/Harpswell as one of the premier destinations for residents of Maine and for the traveling tourist.

The HBA would like to thank Stephanie Slocum for her time and the inspiring talk she presented at the Harpswell Business Association annual meeting.

Thank you Richard and Ann and the Harpswell Inn for the food and meeting space. Thank you to Jen and John and the Black Sheep Wine Shop for the Beverages.

Next membership meeting is April 13th.

See you there.

Marketing Plan

This is an over view of our marketing strategy for 2011

The purpose of the plan is to give Cook’s Lobster House a competitive edge going into the 2011 season. We will accomplish this with a multi pronged approach in four marketing arenas

1.      Online Social Media: We have developed a strong presence online with 1325+ Facebook fans, a great website with good search engine results bringing an average of 430 hits a day or 157097 hits for the 2010 year. We have three active blogs that bring new and useful information linked directly to our website and our other media sites. The first one dealing with what is happening at Cooks. The second one deal with local walking trails and sites within close proximity of Cook’s. The third is a hotel, Campground and Inns of the Maine Mid Coast blog with links to all of their sites. These three blogs along with our website provide compelling reason to visit Cook’s Lobster House. Email campaigns will continue to be used aggressively to stay in contact and promote Cooks to Motels, Marinas, Cook’s Club Members and friends of Cooks.

2.      Off line marketing: Face to face promotion will continue to be front and center in our campaign to bring Cook’s Lobster House to everyone’s mind. We will continue to represent Cook’s by being on the board of directors for the HBA. We will continue to be on the Marketing committee for the regional chamber of commerce. We will become more involved with the CVB of Portland, the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Tourism Association. Cooks Club will continue to be a major focus of our off line marketing. With about 600 members in this rewards based loyalty program and growing. Building facial recognition and name recall are crucial to the program and its basic foundation of “Making the Guest Feel Important”.

3.      Traditional Advertizing: We will continue to advertise in the paper and on the radio but doing so in a more reasoned and thoughtful approach. Trading Gift Certificates for air time on the radio is a cost effective way to get our name out to a broad audience. The newspaper ads will be tracked for ROI by a means of coupon returns and then doing a comparison to determine most beneficial placement.

4.      Non Traditional: Air plane banners, Participation in events like Harvest On The Harbor, Cooking contests and charity functions are areas that can bring great brand recognition and good will. We will attend and use all forms of brand recognition advertising that is deemed useful to our overall mission of being the best of the best in Mid Coast Maine.

March 2010 Marketing Plan

Online:

Website: All links fixed and relevant

New pictures added to pages for more appealing look

Expand Lobster bakes and weddings pages

Social media sites: Stay engaged adding new content daily.

Emails: Cooks Club Members, Motels, Friends of Cooks, Marinas and Tour Groups.

Offline:

Face to Face: Attend more of the HBA, SMMC and CVB meetings and participate in events. Hotel visits will be an important part of the DAY TO DAY offline promotion. Trade shows should be taken advantage of in order to present ourselves to the groups that might use us in the future. AAA travel show ($150 for the SMMC to distribute 1000 of our brochures and must be committed now if we are to participate. Bus Tours New England, etc. Trade show would however take resources and a commitment. Attending these types of shows takes planning and money. The need to evaluate the ROI would need to be looked at closely. There needs to be more investment into the search for new tour boats to dock on our docks. A whale watching tour would draw interest and attracting a dinner cruise from Portland or Bath might be a good match between Cooks and the tour boat company. Again this is not a quick do. Time and resources must be made available with no guarantee of a ROI.

Radio: WBLM gift certificate giveaway. One other Radio gift certificate give away station.

Newspaper: 1/8 -1/4 page add in Harpswell Anchor, Coastal Journal, Times Record, Lewiston Sun and Bowdoin Orient. To be determined by a # of factors. Holidays, School breaks, Weather.

This is a basic breakdown of our March Marketing Plan.

The first thing will be to get the attending members that want to make use of social media to give me their email address. I will then during the course of the regular meeting send out the Essential Social Media Sites Manual to the email addresses so they can use the links in the manual for easy navigation.

I will begin my workshop with an introduction to social media and a look at what one of our businesses is doing with social media. Cook’s Lobster house Social Media campaign

Next we visit the Harpswell Business Association Facebook page We will discuss what this page can be used for. Letting members know about event, specials, new businesses, community concerns, etc. How a post can grow in view by sharing and liking and how that can be seen by our friends and their friends.

Work Shop: I expect that there will be people at different levels of knowledge  at the meeting and so with the manual on their computer. we will have them start at where their interest is. I will be there to answer any questions they may have and help them to set up their sites and link them together.