Event Marketing

1
Event Marketing

• Planning a Media Event
• Who do I Invite, What do I Say?

2
Event Marketing

• Form of brand promotion that ties a brand to a
  meaningful, cultural, social, athletic, or other
  type of high-interest public activity.
• Generally incorporates all forms of promotion

3
Event Marketing

• Become a 6 billion a year business
• Increasing range of events and ideas used
• Kibble n Bits did a 33 city event (tour) to
  audition dogs for their next commercial
• Auditions supported by local media, pr and
  promotions
• More than 11,000 people turned out
• Revlon is known for its support of Breast Cancer
  research and sponsors a ball every Spring to
  raise money

4
Event Sponsorship

• A company develops a sponsorship relationship
  with a particular event
• Estimated 4,500 companies spent 4.2 billion on
  event sponsorships
• Sports receives 2/3 of this funding
• Golf and tennis tournaments
• Auto racing and running events

5
Why Event Marketing or Sponsorship?

• an alternative to the mass media clutter
• ability to segment on a local or regional basis
• opportunities for reaching narrow lifestyle
  groups whose consumption pattern is linked to the
  local event

6
Primary Considerations

• Audience composition
• Will the event reach the TM
• Exclusivity
• Media Coverage and Recognition
• Measurability of Audience Composition
• Continuity
• Ongoing relationship possible?
• Trade Opportunities
• Major clients given tickets, etc.

7
Common Reasons for Sponsoring Events
Masters Golf Tournament

• Increase awareness of company or product name
• Identify with a particular lifestyle
• Differentiate product from competitors
• Enhance commitment to community or ethnic group

8
Major Event Marketers

• 110-115 million
• Philips Morris
• Kraft General Foods
• Miller Brewing
• 90-95 million
• Anheuser-Busch
• 35-40 million
• RJR Nabisco
• Coca-Cola
• 30-35 Million
• IBM

• 25-30 million
• PepsiCo
• McDonalds
• Quaker Oats
• Chrysler
• ATT
• 20-25 million
• Sara Lee
• PG
• 10-15 million
• American Airlines
• Coors
• Home Depot

9
Sponsorship Activities

• Sports Sponsorship
• Auto-racing
• PG and Tide, Folgers, and Coca Cola
• Ice Capades
• Sara Lee for Leggs and Sheer Energy

10
NASCAR Sponsorship

• 4-6 million for primary sponsorship
• Get hood, rear quarter panel, maybe trunk
• DuPont estimates that Jeff Gordon generates 5
  for every 1 they invest
• Mattel and Hot Wheels
• Sales jumped 30 when sponsored Kyle Pettys car
• NASCAR Barbie the hottest collectible

11
Sponsorship Activities

• Company-sponsored cultural event
• New York Marathon
• Mercedes-Benz
• Perrier
• Live Aid Concerts
• Chevrolet
• Pepsi
• Kodak
• Olympics
• Coca-Cola

12
Down Side to Sponsorships

• Weak on research to document effectiveness
• IRS Code changes that may enable taxing corporate
  sponsorships of non-profit organizations
• Documented problems with the tobacco industry and
  sports sponsorships
• Ambush Marketing
• Intentional attempts to deceive the public into
  thinking a company has an association with an
  event such as the Olympics

13
Event Marketing

• Cause-related Marketing
• assumes link between event participation and the
  revenue generating behaviors of consumers
• contributions to causes made by purchasing some
  product

14
PR Tools Available for the Event

• News (press) Release
• Press (media) Kit
• Photos
• Featured Articles
• Printed Materials
• brochures
• annual reports
• Posters, Bulletin Boards
• Audio Visual Materials

15
News (Press) Release

• One or more typed sheets of information
• Information to be included
• company logo
• release date
• contact person
• headline
• double space story

16
How to Write the News Release

• Preparing the news release
• triple the text and use wide margins
• top of the page include contact name and
• write a headline to grab attention/signals key
  fact

17
Writing the News Release

• Editing Problems
• editors cut from the bottom
• structure by putting the most important
  information first
• lead sentence
• who, what, where, why and how
• body text
• directly support lead
• final text
• background details

18
Etiquette in the Press Release

• Dont call to see if the editor received your
  release
• editors dont like pressure
• if you promise advertising dollars you will
  offend the editor
• If the article is run - send a thank-you

19
Mailing List

• Prepare a list of local publications
• Group publications by interest or readership
  profiles
• Dont send inappropriate information to pubs

20
Press (media) Kit

• Supports the publicity gained at events such as
  press conferences or open houses
• Should include
• basic fact sheet of information about the event
• program or schedule of events
• list of participants and their biographical info

21
Press (media) Kit

• Kit should also include
• a news story about the event for the broadcast
  media
• news and feature stories for the print media
• brochures and photos

22
Press Conferences

• When does an event warrant a press conference?
• Exceptional newsworthiness/community relevance
• disseminating positive publicity
• dividends, new product introductions
• new hires
• controlling negative publicity scenarios

23
Press Conferences

• Who is invited?
• Relevant publications, news sources (broadcast
  and print)
• What information is relayed?
• Distribute press kits
• Address information of relevance
• Negative Publicity
• address questions with regards to the situation