Advertising and Community Relations - The Best of Both
Worlds
by Michele Pariza Wacek
Published on this site: September 2nd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities,
high school sports take on an even bigger importance?
That's what it's like where I live.
But like everywhere else in the country, our high school
sports are always looking for ways to make a few extra bucks.
Enter the high school baseball sponsorship program.
For a nominal fee (really nominal) businesses can display
a banner around the baseball field for the season.
To me, this is a perfect example of a win-win situation for
everyone.
Businesses get to advertise to parents (who are currently
purchasing adult products and services) and kids (who soon
will be purchasing adult products and services). They are
able to control their message because they choose the banner
(one of the strengths of advertising). And, because the parents
and kids viewing the ads know the proceeds are going to help
high school sports, they tend to view those businesses more
favorably (one of the strengths of community relations).
Best yet, high school sports benefit from an influx of cash.
See how this works? As a business owner, you get the best
of all worlds: Control of your message (advertising), frequency
of your message (advertising), affiliation with a good cause
(community relations) and the good feeling knowing you're
supporting a worthwhile cause (community relations).
Creativity Exercise - How to find win-win advertising and
community relations opportunities
Grab some paper and pens (I'm partial to the fun gel pens)
and let's start with some brainstorming.
First, start by making a list of everything you're looking
for. I would include:
- What advertising opportunities does the association offer?
For this purpose, make sure they offer some sort of advertising
or sponsorship package.
- Is it a cause near and dear to your heart? (Or even just
something you believe in?)
- Does the cause reach your target market? This is important.
In the above example, as cool as I think that opportunity
is, I'm not racing to sign up. Why? Because chances are,
I'm not hitting enough of my target market to make it worth
my while. And since there's a limited number of these opportunities,
I could potentially be taking something away from a business
that could really benefit from it.
However, here's something else to think about. Basically
when it comes to target markets, this is what you have to
decide: Is the cause more important than you getting business
out of it? The more closely aligned the cause is to your target
market, the more likely you'll see results from your participation.
But again, if this is a cause you're passionate about and
it reaches absolutely no one in your target market, you may
still want to participate simply because it is so important
to you. (I would still look for ways to get something out
of your investment - see (LINK TO) How to Use Community Relations
to Grow Your Business for more ideas. There's nothing wrong
with reaping some reward for your time and/or money.)
Now that you know what you're looking for, start digging
around for opportunities. Start by calling the local Chamber
of Commerce and networking groups like the Rotary and Kiwanis
and other organizations that have their fingers on your community's
pulse. Ask about both high-profile events and ones off the
beaten path. Make sure you research them both - high-profile
events may seem too pricey on the surface, but dig deeper
and you may discover it's perfect for your business. And you
may strike gold with smaller venues.
You can also try calling your local area school sports coaches,
band directors and fine arts program teachers - all frequently
offer programs that might include sponsorships and/or underwriting
and/or various forms of advertising. Ditto non-
school run sports programs like dance, gymnastics, Pop Warner
football, AYSO soccer, Little League, YBL Basketball, etc.
With any luck, you'll discover your own win-win situation.
Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas?
Unleash Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers
two free e-zines that help subscribers combine their creativity
with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to
become more successful at attracting new clients, selling
products and services and boosting business. She can be reached
at: http://www.TheArtistSoul.com
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