Event Marketing – Make the Most of it!

My supervisor asked me to meet him at the Honda motorcycle dealership in Monticello, Utah. When I arrived there were at least five hundred people at the event. The ingredients to the event included several contests where you had to be present to win; a helmet, riding jacket, service coupons and more were up for grabs. The big prize give away, which had been open for signups for a month; a brand new Honda motorcycle.

Honda was providing the premiums, as part of its extensive co-op advertising program. I met the owner and he had me pull, names for the drawings, including the winner of the motorcycle. At the end of the day, I was the big winner. This account was given to me by my supervisor, and I kept it active for the entire time I remained in Utah.

The lessons I learned that day would be instrumental in my success for years throughout my career. In addition to learning the basics of manufacturer assisted co-op and market development funds, I learned the value of increasing your chance of results from advertising through wean event.

The Honda dealer contracted with the radio station to do live broadcasts from the dealership on the day of the big giveaway. This meant the big give away was live on the air when it occurred. The winner happened to be present, and was on the air being interviewed seconds after learning of hi s good fortune. It also meant that leading up to the live broadcasts, the radio station gave the dealer extra promotional mentions saying they’d be out at the dealership on that day.

Beyond the promotional mentions, which were part of the event live broadcast package, the DJ’s at the station commented on it throughout the month prior to the give-away. It was a major event, giving away a motorcycle.

The bottom line results were that the dealership sold several motorcycles to the many people who dropped by to sign up for the promotion. They were exposed to new models, had direct access to personnel from Honda and were involved in a fun event. I learned that this event was annual and that it took a year to develop. So the day I started at that radio station, I was involved in developing the following year’s event, which turned out to be even bigger.

Depending on your perspective and experience, this promotional event can sound complicated or very simple. In either case it takes organization, time management and cooperation by all parties involved. Good luck in your future event marketing experiences.

What are your challenges when it comes to Event Marketing? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…