Event marketing

Push the pencil before

you push the event

Accountability and ROI for event marketing is an idea whose time came a long time ago. But a lot of us just weren’t paying attention. Some still aren’t. When I look back at some of the events I organized and hosted, I’m embarrassed by my failure to justify the outlay.

My associates and I would talked about “the good turn out,” “the positive feed back,” and all the other vagaries used to support what a great event we had sponsored. But we didn’t crunch the numbers to see if it was a smart investment of marcom dollars.

I’m enthusiastic about event marketing. It’s a powerful marcom tool. Problem was, when I was young I let my enthusiasm run away with my brain. I’m a mathematical idiot and shunned what I should have studied: What’s it going to cost and what’s the ROI?

Here’s an example

A few years ago a biotech company hosted a pheasant hunt for a handful of its best customers. As word spread about the event other customers ticked at not getting an invite said “Hey! How about me?” So they were invited. And the handful of customers grew and grew. Before the first bird was bagged, the host had invested $10,000 without a clear objective in mind.

To compound the felony, there was no follow up to the event…nothing to remind participants of the sponsor’s nice gesture. It did not generate new business, but in fairness, it was good for customer relations…at least with the few who took time to join the party. It should have been leveraged to insure its stickiness with some corporate wear or memento of lasting value that would help guests recall the event even years later.

When everything was totaled, it was an”oops!” moment for the marcom manager. He had no idea what the total was going to be, and it was a shock---especially to his boss.

Event marketing is powerful stuff

The example above is just to show the need for knowing what you want to accomplish and how much it will cost. Careful planning can make the difference between squandering funds and making a sound investment.

And, event marketing is not just for the big guys. Because events are scale-able, they’re doable for any size business. For example, Bellview Winery in South Jersey stages two major events a year. In the summer they have a seafood festival and fair. In the fall, they have a jazz festival and fair. The focal point of these events is the wine tasting tent, and the retail shop.

These folks don’t spend a fortune on their events, but they do attract new and old customers and can track increased sales to the events. What’s more, they get extra mileage from the press because the events make good copy.

Tip for the Little Guy

Your event doesn’t have to be spectacular to generate business. Consider going solo, but also consider coat-tailing or a co-op deal with a non-competitor or your vendors.

Events are an opportunity to get customers and prospects and their peers to have a personal experience with you, your products and services. And that’s good marketing.

Ace Hardware Contest

Is Brilliant Marketing

This morning my daily newspaper carried a story headlined “Contest to decide owner of Ace Hardware.” That’s a grabber, but Ace is not on the block. The lead paragraph explains that aspiring entrepreneurs are offered a chance to own and operate their own Ace Hardware store if they enter the Dream Ace Contest.

The beauty of the program is the interaction needed between hopefuls and the Contest’s web site at www.dreamacehardware.com . They’re not just going to yank a name out of a bowl. Entering requires completing an online quiz in 45 minutes, and writing three short essays within two hours.

The prize is worth over $1 million and the winner won’t have to wait forever for the good news. The winner will be announced by March 15.

In addition to all the free space the program is getting, two 45-foot buses are zipping about the Nation promoting the contest and stopping at Ace Hardware stores in 40 markets to encourage people to visit the web site and enter.

There will be many winners for this program. Some contestants will surf beyond the entry pages to find out more about owning an Ace Hardware store. Others will find out more about Ace hardware products and services. Ace’s marcom folks will pick up gems of useful information from the essay questions. And the whole program will reinforce the brand with a continued stream of good public relations.

It’s Fun to Enter

This afternoon (purely for research) I entered the Contest. The time limits to complete the quiz and essay questions are generous. Yet, they reveal a lot about who Ace Hardware wants to carry their name.

Tip for the Little Guy

Enter the Contest. You might win an Ace Hardware store. And you will certainly win an appreciation for the magnitude of this program and its ability to leverage many channels to build and reinforce the Ace brand.

Consumer Reports® Free Standing Insert

Should Be Studied by All Direct Marketers

Last week The Daily Journal that serves Vineland and Millville, NJ carried an 18-page FSI that should be reviewed by both tyro and seasoned direct marketers. It’s a fine example of many of the things that make direct marketing work.

The right audience: All 17,700 subscribers, plus newsstand and pass-along readers use products and services covered by Consumer Reports Magazine.

The right offer(s): “Do’s and don’ts to make you a much, much smarter shopper,” is the big promise, but it’s the specifics that grab attention: “Do invest in market beating funds.” “Do save 14% on gas.” “Do make your house pay off.” “Do lose weight without feeling hungry.” “We’ll tell you the best new car we tested.” “What the beef ads might not tell you.” “We’ll tell you the best digital camera buys.” “See page 16 for your FREE Buying Guide.” All this is offered right up front on the cover page.

Branding: The insert’s cover looks like a copy of Consumer Reports Magazine. What better way to capitalize on brand recognition and establish immediate credibility?

But these folks are just getting warmed up. Page two offers two reference books that cost $21.94 absolutely FREE: Buying Guide 2007 and How to Clean Practically Anything.

A letter”From the Desk of Jamie Darnow,” director of publishing grabs readers with questions such “Did anyone ever tell you…Or warn you… Or clue you... Or tip you off, etc.”. and humanizes the copy with his picture. Then, the letter continues as a prominent part of most pages right through to page 14 where the offer of a FREE issue of Consumer Reports and the two FREE books is repeated.

The tear-off Business Reply Card on pages 17 and 18 repeats the offer for the umpteenth time for the skimmers who may have missed it.

And a final nice touch, albeit in very small type: “Please allow 4 to 8 weeks for delivery of Free books and issue.” This may assuage the impatient (if they read it), but it’s also and opportunity to deliver sooner than expected and earn some bonus points.

My only question is why they didn’t include a time limit on the offer. Maybe they’ve already tested it with a time limit and found keeping the offer evergreen works better.

Tip for the little guys: Insert media gets attention. Maybe you can’t afford free standing newspaper inserts, but there’s an insert program for every budget. You’ll find a nice piece titled "Insert Media 101" at: http://www.allmediainc.com.