Here
we are, only six weeks away from the start of the 2008 Iditarod — #36.
We will have another extreme adventure that we will share with you, so
stay tuned.
Allow me to recap the J. J. Keller 2007 Iditarod adventure.
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J. J. Keller had a great time with
the Dallas Seavey sponsorship for the 2007 race. It was great to work
with and get to know the Seavey Iditarod Racing Team.
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Our
team hosted a banquet for the Alaska Trucking Association and made a
surprise visit, by request, to an Anchorage customer before the race.
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We attended the mushers’ banquets in Anchorage and Nome and enjoyed the festivities.
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We became friends with many mushers and folks at the Iditarod Trail Committee.
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I rode 12 miles in the sled, which I filmed, and we took photos and filmed the race in Anchorage, Willow, and Nome.
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We
met Dallas on snowmachines 35 miles out on the Bering Sea and captured
the entire experience as he headed into Nome to complete his second
Iditarod. He was the youngest musher to ever accomplish this feat.
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We
filmed Lance Mackey as he made history by winning the Yukon Quest and
the Iditarod in the same year. He was wearing #13 and was competing in
his sixth race, the same as his father and brother did when they won
the Iditarod.
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We started
www.jjkeller.com/iditarod and had thousands learning and following the race through this website. We updated the site daily with the notebook,
photos and video. We received a lot of positive comments.
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We
published and produced the J. J. Keller 2007 Iditarod Adventure DVD and
Extreme Report. Hundreds of DVDs were distributed to customers and
schools, and 200,000 Extreme Reports were mailed to our customers and
friends. All 1,300 associates viewed the DVD in the Ethel D. Keller
Auditorium.
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The DVD is available On Demand in Wisconsin through Time Warner cable.
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We
received exposure through local, regional, and national media. Many
people had heard about the Iditarod but had little knowledge.
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We
created "Tundra," the plush sled dog, stuffed-animal mascot. Tundra was
used as a sales premium for customers and associates ... and is a
little sleeping companion for many children!
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Dallas,
along with his sled and apparel, was our guest for 3 days in the J. J.
Keller booth for the American Trucking Association Management
Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida last October. The Extreme Transportation Solutions theme was very well received by the market.
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Dallas
was our featured speaker and guest at an event held for our 3-month
(September - November) Iditarod Adventure Sales Contest. On December 10
& 11, Dallas toured J. J. Keller, attended a VIP luncheon, and
spoke to 1,300 associates in 4 different sessions. Everyone loved his
stories.
As you can tell, we had one fun experience after another. We will be "Mushing Together to Nome" again in 2008, so stay tuned to www.jjkeller.com/iditarod. We also expect to publish and produce a J. J. Keller 2008 Iditarod Adventure DVD and Extreme Report.
This year, J. J. Keller is sponsoring Mitch Seavey, 2004 Iditarod Champion.
Mitch is planning a victory, and we are planning a J. J. Keller 2008
Iditarod Championship Celebration at our world headquarters in Neenah,
Wisconsin.
