We even buy (often at inflated prices) shirts, caps, and other ap-
parel bearing the logos and slogans of the manufacturer or a sports
team. We pay for the privilege of becoming walking billboards!
At your event itself, many opportunities exist for the market-
ing of the event and its sponsoring organization, creating not just
a helpful item but also a memento of the event for the attendee to
enjoy far beyond the final gavel. Tote bags may be imprinted with
the name of the event and the sponsoring advertiser. This is an
effective cross-promotion, which is often granted not just for an
advertising fee but also to cover the cost of producing the bags
themselves.
Directional and identification signs may carry the logo and
name of the sign sponsor. Key rings, golf balls, alarm clocks, badge
stickers, playing cards, and specially designed chocolate bars—the
vehicles of specialty advertising—are limited only by the imagi-
nation. Many specialty advertising production companies exist
with catalogs of preproduced advertising products designed to be
imprinted with your logo, organization name, and a short message
or slogan. The per unit cost of these imprinted specialty items will
decrease as the quantity of your order increases.
Advertising approaches should be tested in advance for effec-
tiveness. Many professionals use a “split approach,” mailing a
limited amount of advertising pieces featuring different colors, de-
sign, and paper weight to two control groups and then evaluating
the response. Focus groups are also an effective way to judge mes-
sages, design, and positive acceptance.Public Relations
Unlike advertising, which is primarily what you sayabout your
organization or event in order to win acceptance, public relations
is the promotional discipline of forming what your audience thinks
or feelsabout the value of your enterprise and, even more impor-
tant, about your organization as a whole. It is a broader, more time-
consuming approach to building continuing allegiance to your
cause and participation in your events. The goals of a public rela-
tions campaign may vary significantly, ranging from creating
awareness of your event in its early stages of development, to con-
tinuing such awareness over a period of time, to offsetting nega-
tive publicity or controversies about the company or association46 Chapter 2 Event Promotion, Advertising, and Public Relations