Front-Runner

Giesmann, in fact, was responsible for a large portion of the creative redesign. “When you have somebody with a fresh pair of eyes come in, people listen,” Brescia says. “And that’s what Jean did.”

Circ Strategy Overhaul
Whereas Giesmann helped with the catalog’s creative redesign, Hodges Badge turned to Smith to build a customer database that would segment and prioritize customers based on their value to the company. Hodges produces individual books for the equestrian, fair, dog show, school, general athletic, gymnastics and swimming markets. The equestrian market accounts for the largest portion of Hodges’ sales at about 40 percent. Despite this dominance, the company had been primarily using the same mailing strategy for all of its customers, no matter what topic.