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.
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.
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.
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.
Hydro flask and Yeti Compare and Contrast of Marketing, Promotions, and Sponsorship
By Rebeca Gaxiola. Published on Sep 18, 2018.
Hydro flask was founded with the idea of “saving the world from lukewarm” like their vision claims. As they expanded they began to build coolers that would serve the same purpose, but it is the all insulated bottle their most popular item. Yeti beginnings are as humble as Hydro flask’s. They wanted to “build the cooler you’d use every day if it existed” as their mission states. Yeti soon began to produce insulated bottles quickly becoming a strong competitor for Hydro flask. Just google “Yeti vs Hydro flask” and you will be flooded with reviews and trials to measure the resistance, performance, and even price. But what makes this two brands stand out? Their marketing strategy.
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell” –Seth Godin
Adventures, the great outdoors, exploring, relaxing, traveling, all of these are part of their marketing plan. A visit to their stories page promptly takes us to a journey filled with experiences, sunny beaches, and all sorts of outdoor sports. Both brands sponsor a wide range of sports and events like fishing and rodeo to name some. Hydro flask is a big sponsor for the World Surf League while Yeti is a proud partner of NASCAR.
But if you, like me, consider a walk to the parking lot the great outdoors, how do this brands fit into your life? one word: Customize. Both brands offer this feature. You can monogram your Yeti to fit your team, business, or organization, but it is Hydro flask who holds the winning hand. You can choose from a variety of sizes, colors, caps, and even accessories to personalize your flask until is worthy of the cutest instagram post. Influencers on social media fill this purpose well by matching their gear with their bottles appealing to the younger generations. Both brands succeed in using their apparel to make their consumers brand ambassadors.
That said, marketing wise there is no winning brand. Both products have a strong placement, and have loyal customers. They have succeeded in transitioning from an outdoor sturdy product into a cult object. In the end it is a matter of preference. My husband holds his 36 oz Yeti bottle dear, and I am in love with my 21 oz camo-colored Hydroflask.
Becca's point of view 
