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.
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.
The term Gen Y or Millennials generally refers to the generation of people born between the early 1980’s and 1990’s some even including children born early 2000’s. Baby boomers would be the grandparents of Millennials, born between 1946 and 1955, who were young and protesting during the Vietnam War era, and late boomers born between 1956 and 1964.
image from gdoesparty
It is easy to see why it would seem difficult to plan an event appealing to both age groups. But if we understand each generation preferences we can find their similarities using them to tailor our event, so it won’t be overwhelming to Baby Boomers and boring to Millennials.
It is one of nature’s ways that we often feel closer to distant generations than to the generation immediately preceding us.
— Igor Stravinsky
Before the internet and travel booking sites Baby Boomers used travel agencies to plan their leisure destinations relying on a local guide to point out unexplored and hidden gems worth visiting on every part of the world. Millennials are now seeking travel advice from travel agencies as well. Agencies are offering personal Instagram-worthy, far-off destinations welcoming them to “experiences” rather than sightseeing, a very appealing concept for Gen Y. Just like baby boomers Millennials seek a less visited destination when planning an escapade.
Photo from Sojurn Adventure Travel Magazine classicjourneys.com
Apple watch image from Health Care Too. healthcaretoo.com/tag/heart-health/
The third similarity is connections. Even though baby boomers don’t spend a lot of time in social media they are computer savvy and do most of their research online, just like everyone else. A recent study by DMN3 has shown that Baby boomers are eager to make connections. They go to almost as much concerts, festivals, and events as Millennials using this opportunities for networking, making acquaintances, and even engaging in relationships. Janet Morrissey says, “the smartest strategy is not choosing between millennials and boomers at all” but actually using their similarities to better appeal to both generations, and those in between.
image from thegoagencyusa.com
So how would our event look like?
Whether it’s a concert or a non-profit fundraiser let’s keep in mind that our event needs to focus on providing an experience to make it memorable and long lasting. Music workshops, sand sculpture classes, or blind wine tasting are just a few examples of the types of engaging experiences we could provide.
Mark Africano from Dig it Sand Castles. Image: Orange County Register staff photographer
We need to focus on wellness, make sure that your food offering is organic, healthy, and tasty. You can even make an experience out of it by providing vegan cooking classes by a local celebrity chef. All those engaging opportunities will help make the valued connections baby boomers seek, and instagrammable memories millennials love to share.
Becca's point of view 