In planning your promotion of any event, consider the purpose
of the event. It may include any one—or any combinations—of
these and others. Your first question should be “Why are we hold-
ing this event?” This is a deceptively simple, but also a critically
essential question. For example, some of the benefits offered by
the event, and the expectations of your attendees, are listed in Fig-
ure 2-3.
Regardless of the message or messages, the marketing mix must
relate the benefits that will meet the expectations of the audience
being pursued. Bear this in mind as you consider the “who” among
the five Ws.
It’s more important to reach the people that count...
than to count the people you reach.Never Forget the Five Ws
Regardless of the nature of your promotion, whether it includes
advertising, press releases, speeches, stunts, or brochures, the crit-
ical elements of “why, who, when, where, and what” must be em-
phasizedup front—in the first paragraph of your press release, on
the cover of the brochure, or in whatever medium of promotion
you are using. It is the first axiom of journalism and promotion.
PROMOTION
A multifaceted approach to marketing, promotion could be de-
fined as the stirring up of interest in your enterprise. The promo-
tional campaign may include a wide range of marketing tools, or
as few as one, depending on your products and your needs. Pro-
motional techniques for event marketing may include advertising,
public relations, cross-promotions (partnership marketing), street
promotions, stunts, and public service “cause-related” events,
among others.
You may find a promotional campaign for a national associa-
tion convention or corporate meeting, for example, to include
brochures, prepared speeches for chapter presidents and franchise
leaders to deliver to home audiences, direct mailings, offers of
prizes and vacation trips, and telemarketing efforts. On the other
Never Forget the Five Ws 41