It is important to highlight what makes a good marketing strategy and how to better plan an event and negotiate sponsorship. Key points not to forget are:
Image from thhp.co.za
Planned events represent things to be marketed and a means of marketing things.
Find what people want and give it to them in the most original and unexpected way so emotions are also engaged.
Every event is different, so each one should be individually approached and planned.
Sponsorship should be an integral aspect of the marketing mix.
Find out what your sponsors need to make it part of the sponsorship package.
Know your audience and the channels to reach them.
Public Relations not only handle community relations but also bad publicity.
Guerrilla marketing is ok as long as you don’t break any laws.
Look at your competition to learn from them.
Image from primoevents.com
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
Event marketing is fun and rewarding when is done correctly. The future of events will be shaped by technology, but the essential nature and role of events will basically remain the same.
Corporate Event and Conference best Marketing Practices
By Rebeca Gaxiola. Published Nov. 10, 2018
What is the first step in planning an event or corporate meeting? First, we need to come up with a concept to drive planning in the right direction. Andy Mcneill says, “planning in the right direction, keeps your messaging on track and ultimately can ensure that you accomplish your goals” (2013). Beyond All Limits, A Celebration of Success, or Commitment to Excellence are a few examples of great concepts.
Image from Inc.
Then, come up with a “to do” list. The more we do before the event the greater opportunity for success. This list must include the following:
Site selection: Location, accessibility, and schedule of the meeting so it doesn’t fall in any holidays. Site inspection, contract negotiations, food and beverage attrition, deposit and payment arrangements are also negotiated first.
Are we trying to produce a profit or breakeven? Identify sources of income and expenses.
Attract and develop exhibitor prospectus.
Sell sponsorship. Remember to select the appropriate sponsor for your event.
Make sure you stay in trend. technology and innovation make meetings interesting and entertaining. These are a few trends for 2018:
Communication with AI. By programming responses ahead of time, you can have all the answers available in the form of voice or text response.
Safety first. By implementing strong data security practices, such as frequently changing passwords, encrypting files and enabling two-step authentication, event marketers can ensure their data will be safe and secure.
RFID wristbands. With RFID, guests can link their credit cards directly to these wristbands and improve efficiency throughout the conference, including speeding up registration and onsite purchases.
Going green. One of the most beneficial ways to host a sustainable event is to go paperless with event apps and engage with pre-event communication that includes all of the event details and information.
Let your audience customize the event to fit their unique needs and wants.
And last, make sure you are making a difference. Meeting planning leaders make this their number one priority.
Here are a few top corporate event planning leaders in the U.S. and the companies that have successfully used marketing best practices:
Sharon Essig, CIS, HMCC Principal Meeting Planner Boston Scientific Maple Grove, Minnesota
“I try my best to have my ‘t’s crossed and ‘i’s dotted to ensure I can sleep, but it’s the little details that make attendees feel special. I want everyone to feel welcome and special.”
Marcia Deem, CTSM, marketing events manager, PERQ LLC, Indianapolis, IN
“Being innovative is part of PERQ’s brand. We want to make sure that’ how we’re representing ourselves at the different trade shows and conferences we attend”
Sally Webb Berry, CSEP
“Events are all about strategic messaging tailored towards how people want others to perceive them…We create magic in this communication production process!”
Identify a Non-Profit which has Successfully used Marketing best Practices.
By Rebeca Gaxiola. Published Nov. 2, 2018.
Marketing strategy is where we play and how we win in the market. Tactics are how we then deliver on the strategy and execute for success.
–Mark Ritson
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital fund raising practices and marketing strategy is what has helped them communicate their message, build a fundraising base, and obtain donations. Here are a few of their marketing plan lessons that we can apply to our own non-profit.
Encourage people to tie their personal experiences and events to the brand by creating their own fundraisers.
Image taken from facebook
Include testimonials from others so they can feel part of a community.
Don’t forget to include your unique value proposition clearly explained in all your social media pages.
It is always a good idea to have the support of a familiar face that provides media exposure on all channels.
Don’t forget to share success stories. Let donors know how they are making a difference.
Include your partner brands to encourage others to sum to the cause.
Media presence is very important nowadays, so you want to make sure that you are covering all online communication channels. Always interact with your supporters and promote content-sharing. Don’t clutter your web page, but make sure to include all the points listed above. One last advice, give donors a place of importance to incite loyalty, excitement, and inspiration.
When you have found the right people to talk to about sponsoring your event, eventually they are going to request more information. Some sort of proposal needs to be sent so they can review it and make a decision.
Image from na-pr.org
It is important to have a proposal to give to a potential sponsor, but before we put anything in writing we have to consider our assets, the value of what we are offering, and the benefits to that particular company.
First and Foremost, any business proposal I like must sound like fun.
–Richard Branson
Proposal summary
It should be short; 1 or 2 pages will be enough. Use a personalized approach using an idea relevant to the company or brand. Include relevant audience profile and the exact offer. You should end your summary proposal with a call for action. The following is an example of a summary proposal for Mr Francisco Ochoa, owner of El Pollo Loco restaurant chain, to sponsor the Dream Foundation movie premier.
Mr. Ochoa,
I write you as a fellow Mexican citizen and Latino rights activist, to let you know of an opportunity that may interest you and your company. The Dream Foundation is hosting its first high profile movie premier to raise awareness about Latino community struggles in San Diego, Ca.
The foundation will use proceeds from the movie premier to help support 500 students currently under the DACA act with status renewal and lawyer expenses. The event will take place at Balboa Theater in San Diego on March 21st, 2019 at 5:00 pm followed by a Dinner Gala at The Marriot Bay Front.
Attached you will find a fact sheet about the event, and a description of our various sponsorship opportunities with individual benefit levels. Sponsors will enjoy name recognition, media coverage exposure, and goodwill in the Greater San Diego Area directly targeted to the Latino community and its supporters.
Your sponsorship will help assure the success of our movie premier in meeting the foundation objectives. I will make a follow-up call during the week of November 12th. I appreciate if you would consider the proposal for sponsorship and look forward for your support.
As rights-holders it is our responsibility to research and understand the sponsor’s point of view before getting in contact with them. Always remember that companies buy solutions, not sponsorship.
Don’t ask for cash from sponsors, imagine what they want.
–Matt Prior
A good strategy is to think in sectors, not companies, that way we can understand their needs and address them in a relevant way. The sponsorship handbook states, “Sponsorship is currently one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with their customers in the multi-channel, experience-oriented environment in which we live today”. Giving them the opportunity to engage with consumers is more important than having their logo printed in our tickets.
Image from movies.disney.com/coco
The target market for the movie COCO is kids, but because kids don’t go by themselves to the movies we need to think about families. The story centers in a matriarchy family in Mexico, so Mexican-American families will be considered our target market. To pick our sponsors we need to find companies who will find this target market appealing.
Image from Houston Family Magazine
El Pollo Loco restaurant chain is a big supporter of the Hispanic community. Their print campaign during Hispanic Heritage Month and their wish to become the Hispanic employer of choice makes them a perfect fit for the movie premier. Our campaign would go something like this: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month El Pollo Loco Presents COCO. They can launch a loyalty program on premises with a special treat for every movie-premier ticket holder that goes to any of their restaurants.
Image from Barbie® Barbie.mattel.com
Another company that would fit in this premier is Mattel, especially the Barbie doll. They have often been criticized for not being diverse enough, so an exhibition of their diverse doll collection featuring their Frida Kahlo doll and even a hands-on Hispanic doll house sounds like a good way to improve the brand image and encourage kids to buy their products.
Image from Chipotle Mexican Grill
Food safety issues have had a negative impact in Chipotle’s consumer trust. Understanding their need to regain said trust, we can offer them the opportunity to sponsor the movie snack-combo consisting of chips, guacamole and salsa. They can exchange the movie ticket for a discount coupon to use at their restaurants.
Celebrating diversity, creating awareness and regaining trust are all very valuable assets. Sure, we can also make t-shirts with their logo or caps and lanyards to giveaway, but we gave each sponsor an opportunity for engagement, sales, and means to improve their image in a family event that will create a positive experience that will last in the consumers’ mind for a while.
First, we need to come up with a date and make sure it doesn’t conflict with other events our supporters might be engaged in. We should make it our staple date, so we can plan our event on the same time every year. The Met Gala always takes place the first Monday of May.
image from timeanddate.com
The next step should be to find a venue that works for our date and that fits our event. It is important to understand how our budget will fit with the cost of that venue. We must figure out how our event will flow in that venue. Are we going to have a welcome cocktail, a registration booth? Is there going to be a silent auction? Is there a special activity for the VIPs? What do we want our guests to experience when they walk through the doors or arrive to the meeting point? All this should be taken into consideration when deciding for a place to host the event.
Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. Hank Rosso
Now we need to think of a theme for our fundraiser. I volunteered for the Gold Shield Gala from the SD Police Foundation, and their theme was Hearts of Gold. The invitations had a police badge that spun and turned into a heart. And the whole theme and decor was filled with hearts of gold. This made us think about the police officers’ hearts of gold, and our sponsors and donors’ hearts too. The theme should be carried out from the beginning to the end of the event to create consistency.
image from sdpolicefoudation.com
Always have a hook to make the occasion memorable. A golf tournament can invite known players to participate, so people attending are really getting a unique experience by taking part of the event. If we don’t have the budget we don’t always need to include a celebrity, we can share a story of accomplishment by a member of the community that benefited from our fundraiser. Listening to their stories will make people relate with our cause. Make-A-Wish foundation has kids share their experiences, so people can see how their donations make a difference in their lives.
image from sandiego.wish.org
We should make sponsorship packages. Using names related to our event, we can create different tiers of sponsorship packages always keeping in mind the tangible and intangible assets the sponsors are looking for in return. Friends of Balboa Park has an Annual Awards Luncheon and their sponsorship packages names include the Maestro, Pizzicato and Allegro. Find fun names that relate to your event to make it more appealing.
image from animalcenter.org
There should be connection between the sponsor and our non-profit. A pet food company sponsoring an animal center makes sense, but if we are hosting a Luncheon to help the homeless then pet food doesn’t really make a good impression, a supermarket would be a better fit.
The last and most important step is evaluation. We should get feedback from our sponsors, attendees and donors. We should evaluate and identify areas of improvement, so our event gets better each year. if we didn’t reach our goal we can work on strategies to make it happen and change those that didn’t work. Remember, outputs and outcomes are the most valuable measures.
When I though about developing a Public Relations Strategy for a New Art Gallery I pictured my friend Dylan Wilde opening a gallery to showcase his own work.
” study of a dang paper bag” Artist: Dylan Wilde
Every good PR strategy begins by defining a SMART goal. Thinking about my friend and if he decided to open his own gallery our goal would be something like this:
“To open a gallery to exhibit his work and become recognized as the top local modern art painter by the end of 2018 and begin to expand his brand nationally during 2019”
The artist next to his work at the San Diego Art Institute
How are we going to accomplish the first part of our goal?
Distribute press releases about his work . To know who to send them we need to determine the target audience. Who will like his art? What are the magazines that they read? What social networks are they on? What other art exhibits similar of his are there in San Diego? How to they handle PR?
Set up a social media campaign. it is important to provide information about his career and a scope of his work.
Start a blog on his website explaining his techniques and inspiration.
We can invite a locally known artist or art expert to talk about his work in a magazine article, a TV show, or an article in the local newspaper.
Have his art exhibited in other events our target market will be attending.
“Olive and the End of the World” Artist: Dylan Wilde
After the first part is completed the second part will follow the same plan but on a national level.
If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget I’d spend it on PR!
—Bill Gates
We need to understand the importance of pubic relations when we are promoting an event, a business, or an artist. PR is also in charge of handling bad publicity, enhancing promotional tactics and maintaining a positive public presence. When [we] have a solid strategy in place, we can garner more attention in the media, building a buzz around … that didn’t exist previously. We want our audience to always remember our product or in this case the Artist and his artwork in a good note. Whatever we do it’s important to measure our progress to maximize our success. With such beautiful works of art and a good strategy we will accomplish our goal easily.
Conducting market research helps us identify opportunities and problems. We can evaluate our marketing actions and performance. Identifying our target market will help us focus our resources in the right strategy. The San Diego International Auto Show is the best way to connect with a large volume of highly engaged consumers.
The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well, the product or service sells itself. – Peter Drucker
The Show is targeted to men ages 25 to 45 who either have or haven’t previously owned a car. Sure, there will be attendees of all ages including families. But the specific target market is men, and we know that seeing shiny new cars in the metal is still a lot more fun than scrolling through a Web page. To ensure that participating in an Auto Show is our best decision we need to follow a few steps.
image taken from Tim Strange YouTube Video
First, we must do a competitive analysis. Who are our competitors? What can we learn about their strategies? Would being on the same venue make our brand look stronger or weaker? Will it increase our visibility?
Attendees image ncda.com
Second, we should conduct a PESTLE Analysis. Pestle stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Legal and Environmental factors that could influence our campaign performance.
It is also advisable to conduct a SWOT analysis to improve what we are doing right and to identify areas of improvement. The SWOT for the auto show would look like this:
With all this information and data gathered we can now be sure that our event is a good opportunity for our brand. We know that we will have media exposure due to the nature and size of the event. We can use engagement opportunities to increase equity and improve customer loyalty. We mustn’t forget to evaluate the results to make sure that our objectives and expectations were met.
Porsche brand use of traditional and social media to engage their market.
Social media has become a common word on everyone’s vocabulary. The accessibility of news, databases, and entertainment at the tips of our hands makes it almost impossible not to check something in our phone or tablet before looking for it in print versions.
Social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about experiences. Mike DiLorenzo
A survey conducted by Pew Research Center found younger Americans (especially those ages 18 to 24) stand out for embracing a variety of platforms and using them frequently. The rest of the population spends almost 74% of their time on Facebook followed closely by Snapchat and Instagram as shown on Fig 1.
(fig. 1)
How are brands handling media presence?
Two words, integrated marketing. While it’s true that engaging consumers on line has become the main goal of some brands, their efforts have been channeled to merging both platforms to provide the ultimate experience.
One campaign that succeeded in merging print and social media was the Porshe interactive hologram print ad This campaign consists of a spread on Fast Company’s magazine, including an acetate prism. Placing such prism on a tablet while running video 911hologram.com brings 3-D footage of Porsche model 911.
The campaign makes you feel like you are in a Harry Potter movie where images come to life before your eyes. My immediate response? “Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi”. Jokes aside, blending traditional with modern type of advertisement turned out to be a powerful campaign for Porsche. Like the video states, print isn’t dead, it simply needs a little technological CPR.
When planning an event for kids or teens we need to do research about our target audience just like we do with every other event. Our theme should be something appealing. It is no secret that they spend a lot of time on their phones either playing videogames or following “influencers” on social media. We need to use this information to reach our audience, create expectation, and even sell our tickets.
“An event shouldn’t be just an experiential thing, it should be an emotional thing.”
― Amit Kalantri
Let’s say we are planning a Halloween themed event. We should begin with a campaign on Snapchat, a very common communication app among teenagers. We shouldn’t try to make your website or ads serve both pre-teens and their parents. Kids this age want to sense that they are discovering something new and don’t want to feel like their parents are deciding for them.
Influencers like James Charles or Shane Dawson can create a thread with anyone planning on attending the event. We can have them send a code to those who purchase an entry ticket, so they can unlock pictures or video messages from these idols. This will help create expectation and promotion at the same time.
In the actual event we could include popular video game characters cosplay like Fortnite, so the kids can take pictures with them that can be posted on their Instagram feed with a hashtag so friends not attending can also see the event. Just like Comic-Con San Diego appeals to guests of all ages, our event will be successful because everyone wants to see their favorite characters come to live.
The easiest part is finding a venue. Any outdoor space will serve this purpose, so we can have a DJ with loud music and laser lighting to end the night on the dance floor.
Becca's point of view 
