Chuck Wray is the president of CJ Publishers, a leading force in the advertising of Florida’s diverse and rich attraction scene. Even in a more digitalized era, Chuck has led CJ publishers to be a prominent figure in attracting customers and directing tourists and locals throughout all of Florida. After being president for 32 years, Chuck has learned many valuable lessons about the publishing world and the art of attracting customers and monitoring the success of their strategies. In this interview, Chuck talks about how print is not dead, coupon & promotion strategies, and putting family first.

Print is not Dead

"We have enough evidence that print is still working in an amazing way."

According to a recent study, Millennials trust 17% of what they see on the internet and 87% of what they see on print. This goes to show that print is still a very valuable tool, even in a world overtaken by our massive digital infrastructure. The power of physical presence is a big influence, especially when families are on vacation, where they often find themselves using more mixed forms of media. 

By maintaining a strong presence in popular locations, print can still be a major component in advertising, especially for smaller attractions that don’t have budgets for larger advertising media such as  billboards or radio/television. In addition, print is much easier to share with family members and friends, and can be considered a more personable and engaging form of advertisement. 

Coupon & Promotion Strategies

"A dollar discount is usually better than a percentage discount."

Because print advertising is cheaper and more available to smaller attractions, many innovations have been made throughout the years to engage customers and draw crowds. By using customer-centric methods, people can be enticed to come to your attraction even more through the promotions you put on paper, not just on the internet. 

However, the logistics of such ideas can be challenging. Measuring the success of your various advertising strategies is a key factor, and having the proper channels to do that is important. If it’s at the register, ensure that it isn’t impacting the throughout of your attraction, and if it’s online, make sure that your web discount doesn’t outperform the paper discount, or else you’ll lose your ability to track where people are coming from. 

Putting Family First

“We are able to keep our father and son relationship father and son.”

Working with family can be both a challenge and a blessing. Many work environments can make people feel excluded when they implement the family dynamic in a poor manner. By learning how to balance the professional environment with the unique aspects of coaching family, a strong dynamic can be made to better the workplace. 

Whether it’s sharing copies of a guide with families at a wedding or sharing responsibilities with a family member in the workplace, family is always first throughout CJ publishers. By maintaining a professional family dynamic, the company can perform as intended and even create a more welcoming work environment where everyone feels appreciated. 

To learn more about CJ publishers, you can visit their website here. CJ publishers’ phone number is 727-521-6277. To connect with Chuck, you can find him on LinkedIn.

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas

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