COTS Marketing & PR 202 8.1b Marketing Module

1. COTS Marketing & PR 202 8.1bMarketing Module Instructor Name – 2007/2008

2. Opening Expectations/Desires

3. Mission of this class • To provide students with knowledge and tools to become more effective chapter leaders • To provide a venue for chapter leaders to exchange ideas with leaders of other chapters • To foster an environment of cooperation and collaboration between chapters • To provide students with the basic framework to create a chapter marketing plan.

4. Information needed in advance (and at COTS) to achieve the mission of this class • Basic knowledge and understanding of the chapter’s annual budget and the budget process • Basic knowledge and understanding of the chapter’s marketing budget • Identifying and collecting existing benchmarks in areas of chapter operations dependent on marketing. For example, it's hard to set a goal of a 10% increase in show tickets sold or guests attending meetings in 2007 over 2006 numbers if you don't know what your 2006 numbers are.

5. Agenda

6. Chapter Readiness • Small-Medium Sized Chapters • Low-Medium Technological Capabilities • Limited Knowledge • Small Budget • Need Growth/Sustainability • Little/No Experience with the Media • Little/No Marketing Experience • Frequently New to the Job • Over-Estimate the Public’s Awareness of the Chapter • Is the Chapter Ready for Growth?

7. Group Question #1 How would you rate your chapter’s readiness for marketing success on a scale of 1-10?

8. Understanding Your Audiences (5 Minutes)

9. Understanding Your Audiences • Potential Members • Members • Families of Members • Show Patrons • The General Public • The Media • Barbershop Fans • Groups That Facilitate Performance Opportunities

10. Group Question #2 Are there some additional audiences that should be added to this list?

11. The Barbershop Product

12. The Barbershop Product Key components include: • A good music program; • Chapter's chorus and quartets must sing well. • Good performance package; • Chapter's performing groups must do a good job of entertaining their audiences. • Good administrative team leading the chapter; • Planning that establishes realistic goals for the chapter and the officers must follow through to lead the membership toward those goals via mission statement

13. Group Question #3 How would you rate the quality of your chapter’s “barbershop product” on a scale of 1-10?

14. The Barbershop Product Sources for help • District's director of music education (DME) • DVP of Music & Performance • CDWI Training • Harmony College/Directors College • Chapter Counselors • Outside Coaching • Headquarters Staff

15. Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations & Publicity – short answer (2 minutes)

16. Building a Marketing Team

17. Building Your Marketing Team Approaches: • Traditional • “Outside the Box”

18. Breakout Session #1 (15 minutes) Brainstorm ways to build your marketing team. Create a list of the top three approaches within your group and share them with the rest of the class.

19. Securing Public Performances

20. Public Performances • Surf websites • Send a proactive email • Follow-up with a phone call • Follow-up with direct mail piece • Join the Chamber of Commerce and/or CVB • Seek highly visible appearances (national anthems) • Offer incentives to membership to secure a performance • Develop relationships with talent agents in the area

21. Return on Investment (ROI)

22. Measuring Success/Effectiveness What is a Metric? • A metric is nothing more than a standard measure to assess your performance in a particular area. Use SMART metrics • Specific • Measurable • Actionable • Relevant • Timely

23. ROI (Return on Investment) When measuring a Return on Investment, it is important to measure • Financial return • Value return How to measure: Identify the total financial benefit your organization draws from a project or program and then subtract from that the total investment made to develop, produce, and deliver that program.

24. Advertising Benefits of Advertising (Paid vs. PSA)

25. Paid Advertising • Control of content • Control of timing • Negotiate cost & placement • May lead to free coverage

26. Advertising What do radio ads cost?

27. Advertising Channels to Consider

28. Advertising Channels

29. Advertising Channels

30. Group Question #5 Does your chapter rely on friends and family to buy show tickets or do you advertise your show to the public?

31. Income Sources We all know it takes income/revenue to make the chapter operate. It’s important to investigate alternatives and how each might be viewed from a Marketing perspective. Aside from simply raising each member’s annual dues, let’s discuss some other income sources and how to implement them.

32. Membership Recruitment • Establish membership annual recruitment goals • Establish an annual budget for membership recruitment • Develop a membership/marketing recruitment plan, including a timetable for implementation • Develop a system for measuring the success and monitoring the success of the plan • While advertising can generate some guests, any campaign ultimately depends on man to man recruiting

33. Chapter Dues • What does each member pay in chapter dues? • What was the amount for chapter dues 10 years ago? • Does the amount of dues generated annually meet your chapter’s present needs? • Even without an increase in chapter dues, more members means more revenues to contribute to the annual operation costs of the chapter.

34. Performance Fees Why? • Provide regular chapter income • Urgency for good representative chorus to participate • Urgency for better performing • Choosing venues carefully and placement

35. Fundraising • Direct mail solicitations • Face to face solicitations • Research in library or on-line for donors to performing arts orgs. • Grants for performing arts, non-profit chapter administration or a “resident conductor” (director)

36. Show Ticket Sales / Ad Sales Why? • Gets chapter members into community • Great networking • Allows companies to participate and be good community representatives • Publicizes friends of the chapter

37. Merchandise (CDs, T-Shirts, Other) Why? • Income generator without leaving home • Singing valentines giveaway • Raffle item for annual show • Leave-behind from performances

38. Donors & Sponsorships Why? • Research allies to chapter • Position with local larger companies • Provide large blocks of funding • Gets chapter into community • Provides mutual community recognition

39. Performing Arts Grants Why? • Recognition as performing arts group (i.e. original American art form) • Placement in community • Recognition in community • Perform for “under-served” community populations (seniors, vets, etc.)

40. Customer Mailing Lists Why? • Easier on chapter members vs. one-on-one asking • Can do more by mail than personal visits • Exchangeable with symphony, theater, and other similar client mailing lists

41. Singing Valentines Why? • Easy source of funding • Tried ‘n’ true methodology • Community minded program • Experience one-on-one • Many chapters sole fundraising project • Novelty of performing in business • Total chapter involvement for short period of time • Consider telephone messages vs. in-person

42. Harmony Foundation Why? • Barbershop Harmony Society’s charity • Supports music education for youth, teachers and professionals • Provides continuing education scholarships at Harmony University • Preserves the American art form of Barber Shop Quartet music though The Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop Harmony and The Old Songs Library

43. Income Sources (How?)

44. Chapter Dues • Increased members means more chapter dues revenue generated to cover overhead costs of running the chapter

45. Fundraising • Direct mail solicitations • Face to face solicitations • Research in library or on-line for donors to performing arts orgs.

46. Performance Fees • Negotiate needs at venue • Choose venues carefully • Consider audience attending • Determine $$ value against effort to rally members to perform • Always have quartet as backup • Advertise program through show attendees

47. Show Ticket Sales / Ad Sales • Annual direct mailing • Personal visits • Former attendees • Former advertisers, who might they suggest? • Careful packaging from year to year • Follow-up and contact throughout the year • Check newspaper advertisements for other performing arts groups • Create sponsor coupon book vs. printed program

48. Merchandise (CDs, T-Shirts, Other) • Finding someone to manage • Direct mail to show patrons and advertisers

49. Donors & Sponsorships • Chapters enjoying the most success in fundraising tend to be very involved in their community, operate with a purpose and are focused on serving others. A chapter with the single focus of singing well will have a harder time making their message resonate with potential funding sources. • Create benefit package (promotions, bulletins, mailings, mention in news releases, etc) • Guidelines for chapter fulfillment of benefits • Start with chapter members and their employers • Newspaper thank you ads for other donors

50. Performing Arts Grants • Chapters enjoying the most success in fundraising tend to be very involved in their community. Potential grant resources will often be interested in the mission and vision of the chapter as well as an understanding of the chapter’s budget and planning process. • Researching in library • Specific guidelines to follow • Checking newspaper articles and other organizational funded • Check newspaper thank you advertisements for donors • Check or partner with Community Foundations