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 Master’s 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. $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 McDonald’s Quaker Oats Chrysler AT&T $20-25 million Sara Lee P&G $10-15 million American Airlines Coors Home Depot Major Event Marketers

9. Sponsorship Activities • Sports Sponsorship • Auto-racing • P&G and Tide, Folgers, and Coca Cola • Ice Capades • Sara Lee for L’eggs 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 Petty’s 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 keyfact

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 • Don’t call to see if the editor received your release • editors don’t 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 • Don’t 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