THE Madison Avenue marketing calendar is chockablock with holidays both official (Presidents’ Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas) and less so (St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween). Then there are commercialized occasions like back to school, during which consumers are encouraged to shop for more than a day’s worth of merchandise.Spring-cleaning season is such a time, too, as evidenced by a spate of campaigns now under way for products that are meant to help consumers tidy up after a long winter. Makers of household cleaners like Clorox, the Dial division of Henkel, S. C. Johnson, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser are filling magazines, television programs and Web sites with pitches for sprays, bleaches, detergents, soaps and disinfectants.Spring is also when appliance makers and cleaning services try to take advantage of the impulse for home improvement. For instance, Hoover vacuums and floor care products are being promoted in a multimedia campaign that begins this week, the first for the brand from a new lineup of agencies.

And Stanley Steemer International has introduced a campaign for its services to clean carpets, furniture, floors, air ducts and other woebegone household items.Although spring arrives each year whether times are flush or tough, both campaigns reflect the realities of the current economy. For example, a year ago Hoover was advertising its higher-end Platinum Collection. The new campaign, by contrast, is for various models including the Platinum products, which are not identified as such in the ads. “.The goal is “getting back to being good at the basics,” Mr. Kirkendall said. “A brand like Hoover has to get in touch with who it is.”That is reflected in the approach the new campaign takes, which he described as “old school” with a contemporary twist. The commercials are basic, hard-working spots that include selling points like “Designed for the way you live”; humorous depictions of messy behavior; an updated version of “Nobody Does It Like You,” a Hoover jingle from 1993;

beauty shots of products; and a large logo at the end.The campaign last year, by the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., “was beautiful, beautiful work, but a little ethereal,” said Rudy Banny, co-founder and creative director at the new Hoover creative agency, Tattoo Projects in Charlotte, N.C.“air conditioner compressor coil cleanerIt was not the nuts and bolts of what Hoover is,” he added. air duct cleaning equipment craigslist“In three or four spots, I don’t think there was hardware.”cut-to-fit carbon for air purifiersAlthough “we’re not asking people to reach too deep into their wallets” for Hoover products, Mr. Banny said, which can cost from $129 to $179, the careful attitude among shoppers means the campaign must work hard at promoting benefits and demonstrating the cleaning power of Hoover “where the rubber meets the road.”

The other new Hoover agencies are Empower MediaMarketing in Cincinnati, for media buying, and Current PR in Chicago, for public relations. , a presence on social media like Facebook and Twitter and a cause-marketing initiative to raise money for the Cleaning for a Reason Foundation, which helps women with cancer by dispatching cleaning crews to their homes.Hoover spent $18.2 million last year to advertise in major media, according to the Nielsen Company; the Kantar Media unit of WPP reported the total as $20.7 million. For 2010, Hoover will spend about 50 percent more than in 2009, Mr. Kirkendall said.Stanley Steemer spends about $50 million to $60 million each year on advertising. Its new campaign, which takes a humorous tack, introduces a pair of recurring characters, employees who drive to service calls in the company’s familiar yellow van. One of the employees — technicians, in Stanley Steemer parlance — is chatty and a bit of a know-it-all; his partner is silent, taking it all in.

Like the Hoover commercials, the Stanley Steemer spots, on TV and YouTube, rework a vintage jingle. The Stanley Steemer campaign was created by Young & Laramore in Indianapolis, which also served as the company’s creative agency from 2003 to 2005.“We had a very good experience with Young & Laramore” the first time around, said Justin Bates, president at Stanley Steemer International in Dublin, Ohio, “and with everything that had gone on with the economy we realized it was very important to have the right creative going into 2010.”Typically, an economic downturn can benefit the carpet-cleaning business, Mr. Bates said, as people who are loath to buy new carpeting decide to clean their existing carpets.But early last year, “a lot of people stopped spending money altogether,” he added, which hurt results.“It wasn’t our best year,” Mr. Bates said of 2009, but there was hope for an upturn because carpets were “still getting dirty.”“Raysco Inc. had the difficult job of deep cleaning approximately 850 sq. ft. of tile in our new home.

It hadn’t been cleaned, other than a mopping over the surface, since being installed over 10 years ago. This tile is very porous and had not only dirt but pet accident. It was brought back to it’s beautiful original color, as was the grout, and they re-sealed the grout as well. I am extremely happy with their service and 100% will be using them again. (have an upstairs almost ready..!!) Stefanie J. Las Vegas, NV “I just wanted to let you know what a great job Trey did cleaning our carpet and our tile.  He was very professional, respectful and helpful.  The results of cleaning the grout way exceeded my expectations.  Thank you so much.”   “The company owner contacted me by phone very quickly after the initial inquiry. His price quote was 50% and 30% less than the price quotes I recieved from 2 other companies. The truck was at my home the following morning, my rugs were cleaned and they look, feel and smell great! The company gave me a choice of paying by check or credit card which was a nice convience.

I will not hesitate to use Raysco, Inc. again in the future and I recommend them to anyone else without reservation. Their rates and service are both very good.” – Yasmeen, Las Vegas NV. “Professional, on time, great service, well trained and friendly are adjectives I would use to describe Raysco Inc. There have been many times when I thought the carpets would need to be replaced, but Raysco was able to clean the carpet and bring it back to life. They are really good at what they do. I highly recommend them to all of my customers. Thanks for the excellent service Raysco!” David Livingston- Homestead Realty “Raysco is a group of loyal professionals that have helped many of my clients, friends and family. They are part of our connection program and have won many awards for being such a great partner. I have used them myself and they did an outstanding job. Thanks for the exceptional service. Brian Arredondo, Chief Technology Officer, Executive Technology Solutions

“I’ve used Raysco and referred them to my clients for years. They always show up on time, they don’t advertise in such a way that “gets their foot in the door” and then upsell you. I have the highest respect for the technicians at Raysco.”   “Ray is a true professional that actually does what he says. He is one that makes you look good by referring his services. And we’ve had nothing but good feedback from our agents about his services. I recommend Raysco to anyone.” Doug Yates, Owner, EXIT – Las Vegas Realty Center “I have used Raysco countless times since 1998. In this time, I have found Ray to be reliable, have a great knowledge of his business & provide an excellent value. He has done work in my own house & the numerous referrals that I have sent to him. With his excellent service & pricing, he has made me look good with my customers , which has resulted in more leads for me as well.” Mark Pelzman- Nevada Contract Carpet “My company has worked with Raysco on many projects and every time they have done an outstanding job, paying close attention to detail.

I have also used Raysco in my own home and would never use anyone but them again. They do quality work at affordable prices. I would definitely recommend Raysco to anyone and everyone.” Jackie Ashour, Account Executive, Advanced Pro Remediation “Ray and his team at Raysco are truly the best! We have used them numerous times for our business and home, and found them to be very professional, timely, and thorough everytime! They truly care about their customers and provide the best service for a great price!” Tom and Jill Emanuel- Owners, Post Net NV159 Stephanie & Horizon Ridge “Ray Long provides exceptional carpet cleaning, tile & grout cleaning and air duct cleaning that will always exceed your expectations! Raysco has a great “track record” and excellent work ethic as I continue to recommend them to everyone I know or meet… for over a decade!!! You will not be disappointed when you call Raysco!!” Jim Saracino – Prudential Americana Groups’ Home Benefits Connections Program Director

Hello Amanda, Ray, Robert & Jessica,- I just wanted to thank you all for the hand-holding you provided on our last job at Loma Del Ray. Although I’ve been a customer for a very long time, I have not had a situation like this happen, to this degree. I learned a lot from the experience and thank you for educating me and keeping me informed throughout the process. I used the services of Raysco Inc. They cleaned the carpet and scotchguarded it. They cleaned all the tile floors and they sealed the kitchen tile floor. They got rid of things on my carpet that I was not able to rid off and also cleaned an area where my cat had sprayed. I think they do air duct cleaning, granite cleaning and sealing, and other things too. Our house is about 6000 sq. ft. and it was a lot of work. They did a great job. They had a lady come out the day before to give me an estimate. They could have probably done it over the phone, but this house is so big, they wanted to make sure that they could be as accurate as they could be, which they were.