Everyone has a bucket list of some sort - even if they don't admit it. We all have that burning desire to do something that seems just out of grasp, but we really want it.

A hot air balloon experience routinely ranks among the top 10 (usually top 5) bucket list items people want to have in their lifetimes. VisitNC.com has launched a campaign called #NCBucketList geared toward fulfilling "don't miss" travel experiences across The Old North State.

So as a brand manager, social media marketer, or sales manager working with customers for big orders, what kind of lasting emotional impression do you think you'll leave on your consumer or customer if you fulfill one of their top 10 bucket list items? It's serious food for thought.

Love your customers and they will love you back. Fulfill a dream and it will be very hard to turn you down when it comes time for purchase. Brands win every time they participate in the lives and future good memories of their consumers.

Let us help you develop a new level campaign that builds brand, participates authentically in the lives of your customer or consumer, creates opportunity for them to truly become ambassadors of your brand, product or service, and let them fall in love with you. Hot Air Marketing is your bucket list specialist

Soft landings...

Upon first glance, the weather looked like we might not get much flying in during our recent visit to the vibrant Alabama Gulf Coast community of Foley. In spite of the weather, the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival had many things going for it - a nine year track record of crowd pleasing fun, a huge volume of tourists, a diversity of other things to do around the hot air balloons when they cannot fly, a supportive business community, and an active regional media presence looking to tell the story.

Hot Air Marketing's touring Big Red Hot Air Balloon Team pilot and crew were delighted to be on hand to help work with regional media to "tell the story" in support of our team sponsor and the event's title sponsor Tanger Outlet Centers and provide a pre-event glow at the mall as well.

Friday midday heavy rains followed by good weather meant some of the balloons were unable to participate in the tether and glow operations (many of the fields needed to dry creating cramped quarters for the numerous balloons). Earlier weather notwithstanding, the crowds showed up and the pilots were ready and able to put on a show for the assembled masses.

Hot Air Marketing stepped in to supply its "Mile High Hot Air Balloon Simulator" for guests at the event to get an up close experience of what balloon flight is like and receive a free, social media souvenir - a photo of the experience suitable for uploading to their favorite social media outlet. Each photo showcased the Tanger Outlet name in thanks for their sponsorship of the team and event. Fans and families were treated to a unique event experience they will carry with them for years to come (and share with friends around the social media sphere).

Ultimately, guests, sponsors and pilots were treated to a great weekend of celebration and all things hot air ballooning. Tethers, glows, a mass ascension and competition flight. Thanks to all of the organizers, volunteers, spectators and of course, our sponsor Tanger Outlet for putting on another great hot air balloon event. We love to share the magic of hot air ballooning!

No flashy video here. Just an old fashioned photo album from the 2014 Aloft Hot Air Balloon, Music and Community Festival in Simpsonville, South Carolina. This is our way of looking back at a great, long weekend of competitive ballooning and remembering our fallen heroes over Memorial Day.

If you're in a hurry, save this one for later as it takes about 9 minutes. Want to relax and let your imagination soar?  Maybe come up with that next brilliant idea that will change the world or at least your small part? Then, welcome aboard!

Soft landings, always.

Every business owner enjoys introducing a promising new hire. I am no different.  Our newest team member is an expert in social media activation and loves creating conversations with our clients' customers and prospects. 

This outstanding pro is also a heavyweight in the world of branding and knows how to generate massive gross impressions while astounding clients with an impressive CPM.  Adept and creating unique opportunities in the sales promotion space, we believe our clients will more than pleased with the sampling and conversion opportunities this player can bring to the table.

We have high expectations as well for creating unique opportunities to engage with our clients' key customers that will create deep, lasting relationships - a critical skillset in today's competitive market environment.

And as with every member of our team, we expect to have fun and to interact with those who are so important to our business and the business of our clients.

I have lofty goals for this new member of the Hot Air Marketing family.  We aren't big on titles around here but we have made an exception in this case. Please welcome our new director of branding, social media activation, customer engagement, client sales promotion, and kid smile creation - Papa Red.

So Hot Air Marketing is a sales promotion company that works with social media marketing firms, brands and PR agencies.

We're not just here to slap a logo on the side of a six story billboard that potential customers chase down the road and take pictures of - we're focused on authentic experiential promotions that generates conversation and conversion.

But since we're talking logos, imagine your brand on one of those magnificent hot air balloons with tens of thousands of festival spectators taking photos of themselves with your brand and sharing it with all of their friends, family and co-workers to share a little piece of the joy you brought them through your hot air balloon social media marketing campaign.

Now, think of the consumer engagement opportunities back on the ground at these festivals all wrapped around the friendly experience they had with your branded hot air balloon. If you haven't thought of the sales promotions opportunities, that's okay. We have and we'd like to talk with you about some of the ways we can generate measureable conversation about your brand and create conversion opportunities.

Hot Air Marketing will help your brand stand out in the increasingly crowded social media and public relations spaces.  And, we do it while creating indelible, positive memories about your brand.

Yes at Hot Air Marketing, we offer some hot air balloon rides to the public - typically, near our home base in Raleigh, NC. But most of our passenger rides in our hot air balloons are geared toward fulfilling a VIP dream experience for the brands we're partnering to promote.

People (your customers) are fascinated by hot air balloons. A ride in a hot air balloon is one of those special experiences. It's a top 10 bucket list item for a huge portion of the population. We've seen the unique balloon ride "Aha moment" reaction hundreds of times and we love it.

Imagine giving your key customers, top prospects and high performing employees their dream flight in a beautiful hot air balloon. Kick it up a notch by giving them the opportunity to fly at a hot air balloon festival amid a sky filled with a kaleidoscope of colors. It just got a little easier for that key buyer to say, "yes" to their next, larger order.