Meetings Marketing: How the Tried and True Complement the New

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Presentation provides information on how to market a meeting using direct mail, email, social media and advertising. Samples are from the association industry.

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Connecting Great Ideas and Great People

www.asaecenter.org

Denise Gavilan, principal, Gavilan Marketing & PR;

Kelly Koczak, VP, marketing communications, Produce Marketing Association

Marketing Your Meeting: How the Tried & True

Complement the NewAugust 17, 20093:15 – 4:30 p.m.

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This Presentation:

Things you already know but shouldn’t forget

Tried and True applied to new strategies and vehicles

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This Presentation:

Game Changers:

Strategies that change what you do and how your members and attendees

interact

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This Presentation:

New Things to Consider about Event Marketing:

 Goal should not be to just get people there…goal should be to get others to get

people there… 

Telling their story – don’t forget the event is not just about you – it’s about them…

 Encourage others to share, post and re-purpose content

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Developing a Marketing Campaign

“Marketing takes a day to learn.

Unfortunately it takes a lifetime

to master.”

Philip Kotler, 1931 - US marketing guru

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Goals & Objectives

Goal:What do you hope to achieve with the

marketing effort? Generally longer term

Objectives: Shorter, tangible, measured

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Your Audience

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Tried and True Tip:Segmentation

First timersOutside US

Loyalists – those who come every yearSponsorsVendors

CRM DataBy issue interest/focus

Analyze, segment and target

 

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Messages

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Tried and True Tip:Messaging

Provide simple, clear, concise messaging that resonates with customers.

Be sure messages are consistent throughout the organization

Integrated in marketing, public relations, business development activities  

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Tried and True Tip:Call to Action

Have a very clear and distinct call to action in every communication.

Whether it is signing up to register, learn more, fill out a survey, get something, each promotion must be carefully tailored to get a response.

E-mail is still personal and must build a relationship with your reader. 

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Marketing Tactics

• How can you reach your audiences? • When should you? • What resources do you have or

need? • What is your timeline?• What is your budget?

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Develop Show Identity

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Direct Mail

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Direct Mail With Variable Data

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Variable Data Postcard A: Back

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Variable Data Fonts

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Explore Strategic Partnerships

Leverage your relationships with other groups

What can you offer that they don’t have?

What can you offer each other?

Often working with other groups helps you get more results for less effort and less cost.

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Tried & True Tip

Be timely, and be relevant.

Capitalize on current issues/concerns

Any new value at your event is an opportunity to re-communicate with your audience

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E-mail Campaign

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Tactics

What’s (kind-of) new?

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Website

Your event Website should be a toolbox to get others to help you promote it.

 

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Web site

Web Stickers & E-mail Signatures

 

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E-Postcard Campaign

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Widgets

A widget is anything that can be embedded within a Web page.

Adds some content to that page that is not static.

Countdowns for events, tips for attendees, exhibitors.

 Think about your audience and how you can use these: Games, photos,

calculator, etc.

 

 

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Word of Mouth•Messages are different for e-mails, direct mail, ads•Website can be different•Advocates help spread word•Word travels through right circles

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Word of Mouth

Influencers: Not just advocates

Know who the key influencers are for your industry – and use

them!

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Influencers

Influencers: Not just advocates

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Influencers

Influencers: Not just advocates

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PURL Campaign

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Social Media

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Social Media

It’s about:

ContentConversationCommunity

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Social Media: Twitter

There were 53 tweets alone from the opening general session panel on our research project with the National Restaurant Association and the

International Food Distributors Association

Those tweeters reached a combined audience of about 2,500 people that weren’t at the conference – most linking to other content from PMA.

Tweeters were a mix of media and attendees who used our hashtag.

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Social Media: Twitter

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Social Media: Twitter

We promoted the hashtag through all related-mails, exhibitor bulletins and our magazine.

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Tried, True & New Tip

Consider setting up a corporate Twitter account to engage brand advocates, influencers, media and prospects.

Don’t set up a Twitter account unless you can commit resources to providing regular updating and creating a dialogue with users.

Encourage employees to set up Twitter feeds and leverage your network to engage advocates and distribute content. 

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Tried, True & New Tip

Understand your business goals first and develop a strategy.

Don’t jump into every social network or specialty site. Take the time to understand which ones make sense for your business. Does My Space work for

your audience?

Do they use it?

If they don’t, could also be an opportunity to educate your members and provide more value from your organization – take them along with you.

 

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Fish Where the Fish Are

Google Adwords campaigns

Target competitor events

Focus by language

Cost-effective: tailor to your budget

Also good for crisis communications to businesses and consumers.  

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Tried, True & New Tip

Consider starting your own video contest and upload the winning entries to your channel or site.

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Mapping

Use Google Maps or Bing to map out where members are – get people to get together to talk about event, host local/regional networking in advance of the meeting to spread the word, make contacts, promote the event

 

Google Maps API can be integrated into your site to help mobilize attendees:

Show where potential attendees are, increase sponsorships by working with local businesses to map out restaurant locations, entertainment locations to your participants, or other fun ideas such as where to get coffee.

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Incentives

People like a deal or reward

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Budget & Timeline•Begin campaign at least six-to-eight months before meeting •Budget for expected (printing, website development, design etc.) and unexpected expenses (postage increases, consultants, research, etc.)

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Evaluation•It’s ongoing•Did you meet your goals and objectives?•Audience feedback: was campaign well received?•Tactics: did they work?•Time: did you have enough?•Budget: did you meet or surpass?

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Tried, True & New Tips

Everything is scalable – and anything is possible

 

The best content is what the people create themselves

 

About Efficiency, Cost-effectiveness, and Intimacy

 

Create evangelists not attendees

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Thank You!

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Contact Information

Denise Gavilan, principal, Gavilan Marketing & PRdenise@gavilanmarketing.com703-447-9370

Kelly Koczak, VP, marketing communications, Produce Marketing Associationkkoczak@pma.com(302) 738-7100, x. 3042

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!Annual Meeting & Expo

August 21 - 24, 2010Los Angeles, CA

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