|
 |
| Recent
Articles |
Effortless Marketing: Create Your Marketing BLING
For many burgeoning entrepreneurs, the "M" word can be an unexpected
stop gate to the realization of their potential for success.
Are You Putting Your Girdle Into Your Sales?
"It's not just enough to swing at the ball. You've got to loosen your girdle
and really let the ball have it."- Babe Didrikson Zaharias
AOL Taps New Chief Technology Officer
America Online (AOL) presented their new chief technology officer (CTO), Maureen
Govern on Thursday. She takes over the roll as the top technology strategist at
AOL and will be a key player in their overall business strategy.
Yes,
You Must Test A Market Strategy
A marketing strategy is a series of actions intended to accomplish a specific
sales goal. For example, an advertising strategy for a new product or service.
What's Your Business Model?
If you have enough clients to keep you busy, you must be making a good living,
right? Well, not necessarily.
Find What Distinguishes You From Your Competitors
U.S.P., in marketing, is the acronym for unique selling proposition. This is asking,
"What distinguishes you from similar products or services, even businesses
as a whole?"
Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?
Change is good, right? Not always. But when is it bad? Is it a question of good
or bad? Sounds philosophical.
|
|
|
10.10.05
Is Sponsorship Right For My Company?
 By Susan A. Friedmann
Trade shows are a bonaza of sponsorship opportunities. Talk with any show organizer,
and they'll be more than happy to explain how you can make sure your company's
name and logo are plastered all over the arena, on the program guide, over the
hospitality suite, even on the tote bags everyone carries around all day.
It's just a simple matter of money - lots of money. Spend enough, and at some
conferences, you can get a seat on the event planning committee.
Is all that cash worth it? How do you know that sponsorship is right for your
company? Is there a way to determine if underwriting aspects of a trade show will
help your bottom line?
Absolutely.
First, it's imperative to understand exactly what sponsorship is. Sponsorship
is the financial or in-kind support of an activity, used primarily to reach specified
business goals. The fact that sponsorship is undertaken to reach specific business
goals clearly deliniates it from philanthropy - you won't be able to write off
your trade show participation as a charitable contribution. However, sponsorship
is also very different from advertising. Sponsorship is not a solo adventure,
the way advertising is. It promotes a company in association with the sponsee.
The next step is to determine why you may want to sponsor an event. Beware of
the CEO-trap. This occurs when the CEO is a fan of a particular sport or event,
and wants to throw corporate dollars behind his personal passion. Throwing the
corporate logo on his favorite NASCAR driver's car might make the big man happy,
but will it help your company?
Instead, you will want to set some clear, measurable goals for your corporate
sponsorship. There are six main reasons why companies embrace sponsorship, including
image enhancement, driving sales, increasing visibility with positive publicity,
to take on a "Good Corporate Citizen" role, to differentiate from one's competitors,
and to enhance business, consumer, and VIP relations.
All of these are valid reasons. Assess the proposed sponsorship opportunity against
these goals and them ask yourself if sponsoring an aspect of this event will enhance
your corporate image. Many companies value the goodwill generated by sponsoring
hospitality suites and special meals at trade shows - goodwill that can influence
sales.
If sponsoring an aspect of the trade show will meet one or more of these goals,
you may want to participate. It's a good idea to do some homework first, before
you sign on the dotted line.
Check out the show's image. Is it perceived as a classy, up-scale event? Or does
it have a less-than-stellar reputation? You'll want to know this before you affiliate
yourself with the event. Show organizers should be able to provide you with the
target audience expected to attend, plans for media coverage of the event, and
what your obligations as a sponsor are. You'll also want to know what kind of
support you can expect from the show organizers, and what exactly your sponsorship
dollars are buying.
Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions. You are forming a short term partnership
with the trade show organizer. Approach it the same way you'd assess any other
potential business relationship. You need to know the event's operational history.
Has the show been around for a while, and growing every year, or is this a brand-new
enterprise? Who were the previous sponsors? How much did they pay to be involved?
What are the organizer's backgrounds? Are they affiliated with any non-profit
or political organizations?
Check the date of the event, and check to make sure that it does not conflict
with any other events your company wishes to have a presence at. You should also
be provided with a full and complete list of event attractions, including educational
programming and receptions.
Sponsorship works best in the context of a relationship. You will often see the
same companies supporting the same events year after year after year. This synergy
creates a special, unique 'brand' for the duration of the event, a brand that
the buying public begins to count on and expect. Make sure you enquire about on-going
sponsorship opportunities, as well as cross-promotion opportunities.
Don't dilute your brand by sponsoring every event that comes along. You can afford
to be selective here. Pick the one or two events that most closely mirror your
corporate image and philosophy - those are the shows that will help you meet your
sponsorship goals.
Once you've made up your mind what events you'd like to be affiliated with, contact
the event organizers right away. Many sponsorship opportunities are highly competitive,
and space is limited. There's not a lot of time to dawdle if you want one of only
two or three premier spots.
Finally, don't feel limited to what sponsorship opportunities the show organizers
offer. If you have a great idea, talk to the organizers about it. Chances are
that show organizers will welcome your creativity and they'll be more than willing
to accommodate your plan.
About the Author:
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author:
"Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," working with companies to improve their
meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free
copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week, e-mail: susan@thetradeshowcoach.com;
website: http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com
|
|
WebProWorld Marketing Forum
