Category: Public Relations

EVENTS PROMOTION AND SPONSORSHIP

General Summary and Key Points

Posted by Rebeca Gaxiola. Nov. 14, 2018.

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:

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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.

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    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.

References
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Preston, C.A. & Hoyle, L. H. (2012). Event Marketing. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken New Jersey

 

 

IDENTIFY MARKETING PRACTICES USED IN MEETINGS AND EVENTS

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:

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:

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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.”

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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”

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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!”

References
Trends
Mc Neill
Sharon Essig
Marcia Deem
Sally Webb
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IDENTIFYING MARKETING PRACTICES USED BY NON-PROFITS

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.

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Image taken from facebook

 

Include testimonials from others so they can feel part of a community.

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Don’t forget to include your unique value proposition clearly explained in all         your social media pages.

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It is always a good idea to have the support of a familiar face that provides media exposure on all channels.

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Don’t forget to share success stories. Let donors know how they are making a difference.

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Include your partner brands to encourage others to sum to the cause.

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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.

     References
Featured image
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
All images property of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

 

 

CREATE EVENT SPONSORSHIP PROPOSALS

Drafting a Sponsorship Letter

posted by Rebeca Gaxiola Nov. 1st, 2018.

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.

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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.

Best Regards,

Rebeca Gaxiola

It is easy to identify all the key points mentioned above with ideas relevant to the company, and an explanation of what we offer. Remember to talk benefits, not features to standout from the crowd and successfully attract sponsors.

References
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DEVELOP A PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY

PR for a New Art Gallery

Published by Rebeca Gaxiola. October 16, 2018.

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.

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” 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”

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The artist next to his work at the San Diego Art Institute

How are we going to accomplish the first part of our goal?

  1. 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?
  2. Set up a social media campaign. it is important to provide information about his career and a scope of his work.
  3. Start a blog on his website explaining his techniques and inspiration.
  4. Community relations. He can volunteer as teacher at community programs designed to make art more accessible for young people and families like the Arts for Learning San Diego
  5. 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.
  6. Have his art exhibited in other events our target market will be attending.
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    “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.

References
Featured image found on instagram @dylanwilde
Arts for Learning
How to create the best PR strategy for your business
Richmond Art Center