Franchisor Re/Max LLC is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its iconic hot air balloons with flights around the world — and a press release filled with trivia, including:
- First flight: 1978, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
- Origin: The first Re/Max balloon was manufactured in Statesville, N.C.
- Growth: The Re/Max balloon fleet numbered 48 in 1985 and today there are 108 Re/Max balloons scattered in 26 countries around the globe.
- Good deeds: Re/Max has been a supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network since 1992, and both organizations co-brand their baloons in a partnership that’s raised more than $123 million for sick and injured children.
Re/Max likes to fly the balloons at schools because of the variety of networking possibilities and embedded community exposure opportunities they present, Re/Max Executive Vice President Mike Ryan told Inman News reporter Paul Hagey this year.
Re/Max agents sponsor and help coordinate each event, passing out fact sheets to parents before the visit and reaching out to local community-minded media, who sometimes cover the visit. Sponsoring agents can network with parents during the events, and share video and media coverage of the event afterward on their social media channels and in marketing emails.
According to a survey of more than 2,500 people in the U.S. and 600 in Canada between November 2012 and March 2013, Re/Max is the most frequently mentioned brand among respondents in both countries, beating out Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Prudential and Keller Williams. Source: prnewswire.com