I personally never had a clue as to what is entailed in a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy shift until I had the honor to ride with one of them as part of my Leadership Pinellas class requirements. Hey, at least I wasn’t in the BACK seat! The cool part was being in the front seat during a full eight hour shift. In that short period of time, I learned a few things I thought I would share with “John Q. Public.”

Did you know that all of the Deputies have computers in their cars? If you see one behind, you better hope that your tag and license are current because more than likely they are running your tag! They don’t do this to try and capture you – they do this to look for people that might have a warrant out for their arrest. By doing this they might find someone who steals cars, has had several DUI’s or perhaps a sex offender that has a warrant out for their arrest. This new technology is extremely cool and it was designed to keep us safe. Besides, who wants a sloppy drunk on the road or a creep that might be driving around looking for vulnerable children?

Crazy people are everywhere! During the course of the night we got all sorts of wild calls. A few that we went on had to do with domestic violence. Deputies don’t show up to cause problems – they are there to help calm down the situation. With a Deputy present, people tend to calm down and not be so violent and crazy. My ride along buddy was very calm, cool and collected, very understand and spoke with a strong voice of authority. He knew how to handle all of the different types of weird calls with ease. It made me feel good to see him work; plus it made me feel safe to know that he was there to protect me. I was walking up with him on all these calls and was able to witness the reactions and the way he dealt with every situation. There wasn’t a single time when I didn’t feel safe. I felt sorry for most of the people that we had to pay a visit to because they all seemed far removed from reality. It was sad to see so many messed up people and situations. It’s nice to know that we have someone to watch over these messed up individual’s otherwise who knows what might happen. They truly make the world a safer place.

The last part of the night was the most action we had all night! While searching for a trouble-making minor, we happened to see a car that had just pulled up to a convenience store who just happened to have busted out taillights and tags that expired back in 2008. The Deputy noticed this right away. To me this was amazing as it was a very dark area – they really know what to look for. After running his license, we found out that this person had several DUI’s, traffic violations and his license had been revoked years ago. The officer handcuffed him and put him in the back seat of the car. At this point, he started searching the suspects car. He found a small container that had small white pills in them. We continued to search and found another container that had crushed white stuff in it. Deputies’ cars have drug kits in them, so they can test the chemicals to see what kind of drug they are. After running the tests we found out that the pills were Oxycontin and the crushed up white stuff was crack cocaine. At this point a car pulled up and out came a woman on crutches (that seemed to be in a lot of pain) plus her two children. The woman had just gotten out of the hospital and it turns out that the guy we were arresting was supposed to be home taking care of her. It was really sad. The children should have never witnessed that. Turns out they only lived around the corner so if the guy was smart he would have walked to the store for his cigarettes and beer. Again, the Deputy handled the situation with ease. He asked the woman and her children to go home, which they did, and He called in for back up. Within minutes another cruiser pulled up to help. They worked together as a team to continue with the vehicle search and eventual arrest. While we were waiting for the paddy wagon, the Deputy had to type in his report. There were so many counts it took him awhile to do this. He explained the entire process to me as he typed. In the mean time, the arrested individual in the back was pleading for his release as he told us his sad story over and over again, stating he would never do it again if only he was released this one time. Deputy’s hear sad stories all of the time and they need to stay calm and do the right thing. Putting the bad guy away can save a person’s life. This guy had a history of DUI’s, was driving a car that was not registered to him with expired tags, driving with an open container and he had illegal drugs with him. Who knows what might have happened if the Deputy did not pull him over. A busy neighborhood was right across the street with cars and people walking about. By taking this guy away he might have saved a life.

This experience taught me to really appreciate what the Deputy’s job entails and how hard their job is. Without them, our world would not be safe and full of violence. It makes me proud to know that there are some people that are willing to fight crime and deal with all of the emotions that come along with it. I have a new respect for our Sheriff’s department. The next time you see one, wave at them and say thank you. After all, they’re here for your protection and to help make this world a safer place to live in. This ride along was one of the coolest things that I have ever experienced. Now instead of fearing the Sheriff and thinking they are the bad guys, I have a new and trusted respect for them. Thank you, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office!

There is a psychological factor that comes into play when using personalization in marketing. People want to feel special, unique and understood. Marketing that plays on those emotions makes your company more favorable in buyers’ eyes. Personalization marketing campaigns allow you to tailor your message to each individual, pressing their hot buttons and piquing their curiosity. The buyers feel like you are really getting personal with them and know what they want, which reinforces their bond with your company.

While the product has many names, the best way to define Variable Data Printing (VDP) is personalized printing. It’s a form of digital printing that allows you to get personal with direct mail by playing on the needs and desires of each consumer, and communicates one-on-one with them.

VDP permits text and graphics to be changed from one printed piece to the next, without stopping or slowing down the printing process. People like to see their name. It grabs their attention leading to an increased response of 10-15 percent on direct mail campaigns.

Your mailer is designed with a basic layout displaying your marketing message. Each piece is then printed with a different person’s name and graphic that will appeal to the individual. For example, the mailer might say something like “Jill, join us for our model grand opening at ABC Community.” The piece might have the same layout as the others, but a few of the graphics are tailored to appeal to Jill’s interests that have been determined through a targeted list and database. It might have a photo of a specific model home that she would be interested in and lifestyle graphics that play on her emotions as a female.

Now you know about personalization and variable data printing, but how do you use these tools to enhance your marketing campaign? With a new four- letter word- PURL. A PURL is a Persistent Uniform Resource Locator, more commonly referred to as a URL or web address. Its function is to point the consumer to a customized landing page instead of directly to a company website. Consumers receive this personalized URL mainly by email or direct mail.

How many times have you gone to a general website and weren’t able to find what you were looking for? A PURL will help eliminate frustration and wasted time by leading consumers to the information they want to see, when they want to see it. What better way to get them plugged in than delivering it to their door! Studies have shown that over 80 percent of potential homebuyers start their search online, and nearly 33 percent of direct mail recipients prefer to respond online. Offering personalized web addresses provides them with the option to do both.

Here’s how it works. Jack receives a VDP mailer that invites him to type in his Personalized URL for more information (i.e. jack.hammer.abcbuilder.com). After typing in the PURL, he ends up at a landing page built specifically to match the direct mail piece that was personalized for him. Jack will then confirm his contact information and answer a few survey questions about what he’s interested in and boom… the next page that pops up has exactly what he was looking for; a specific community with a floor plan and amenities in his price range. Jack is also able to register for additional offers and promotional items as well. It’s faster, it’s easier and, most importantly, it saves Jack’s activity for additional
follow-up.

The hardest part of spending marketing dollars is actually seeing your return on investment (ROI). Studies have shown that there’s $122 ROI per $1 spent on marketing with PURL campaigns, indicating that they work. And the best part is they produce almost immediate results by tracking exactly who visits the web destination and what they’ve clicked on. This real-time data is used to send you comprehensive reports with campaign response rates, visitor patterns and detailed lead information allowing you to follow-up with sales leads as they come in. With traditional ways of marketing, it is difficult to track these results.

Times have changed and marketers need to know immediately what’s working and what’s not. They can’t wait months to find out. After all, there are such things as minute rice and instant pudding, why not instant leads?

It’s time to get real. People don’t communicate like they used to, and our marketing has to cater to that. Companies should not only be looking for new ways to get in the door of their consumer, but ways to interact with them. Everyone is looking to increase response rates, so why not put your money where your mouth is? Stand out from your competitors, be unique, and get personal!