Extending the Brand through Event Marketing

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Tue, 11/16/2011

The very first experience I had in my career, as it relates to media and advertising was an event. My first job was in Utah at as small radio station. The owner asked me to meet him at a Honda motorcycle dealer when I made the initial drive to Utah. When I got there I was immersed in an event at the dealership, and as they say, from that point on, it’s history. I was hooked on events!

The dealership could have just run a schedule of ads on the radio station and had very good coverage for his products and service. Instead they decided to extend the brand through product give away, a sale, and a live broadcast from the radio station. It didn’t cost the dealership much more than the ads on the station because Honda gave them the merchandise to give away, including a motorcycle. The radio station remote cost next to nothing and gave ample coverage every quarter hour over a three hour period. It was definitely a win-win for everyone.

While what I explained may sound simple, it is easier said than done. A lot of logistics are needed to make an event happen smoothly, so hiring an event planner may be the way to go. The point is that brand extension through event marketing can happen for most types of businesses and will continue well into the future.

No different than a media schedule, based on who the target market is for your business, the event should be focused on their needs and wants. If the target age calls for adults and it can be a family event, than hot dogs and balloons for the kids could be considered. If it’s more of an upscale target, than just have an adult-only event.

A good idea is to have someone in your business designated as the project manager. This person, with the help of your team, can construct a timeline to make sure all steps are considered, throughout, and most important, implemented.

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