BRAND ACTIVATION COURSE

Course runs every Thursday (6:00 to 9:00 P.M.) from June 21 to August 30, 2007 at the RCBC Plaza in Ayala Avenue, Makati City

This module is part of the Marketing Communications Management Program, a Post­Baccalaureate Diploma Course being offered by the De La Salle Graduate School of Business in

partnership with the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA)

INTRODUCTION Marketing communications does not end with traditional

advertising. At the most, traditional advertising will help induce brand awareness and trial purchase.

To effectively realize repeat purchase and brand loyalty, the brand has to establish a strong emotional connection with its intended consumers.

This involves making maximum use of brand activation tools that will have strong impact on their emotions, touch them, and stir their buying decisions, at the right time, in the right place and in the way that best suits their lifestyle.

The intended long­term result is to build meaningful relationships between the brand and the consumer.

Course Benefits As a result of attending this course, the

participants will: • Learn the dynamic application of

brand activation techniques within the context of integrated marketing communications management

• Acquire and develop innovative marketing tools to support their company's future marketing initiatives

• Establish a network of marketing peers in other companies who can be excellent support resources in the future

• Learn about future trends in Brand Activation techniques from leading professionals and practitioners in the field

Who Should Attend • The course is designed

for managers who are responsible for product and services marketing, business development, or sales channel management.

• The special session on Social Marketing will be most helpful to those involved in this line of marketing or are looking at new career options.

BRAND ACTIVATION Course Description

This module will give the participants full appreciation on the use of various brand activation tools in planning and implementing an integrated marketing communications program.

The module is designed to provide outstanding learning by combining theories with actual case studies that best illustrate brand activation strategies and techniques that will have immediate practical application back on the job.

All of the sessions are designed to be highly interactive, allowing for the substantial experience of the group to emerge and be shared.

Best practices on Brand Activation will be tackled by discussants and resource speakers tapped from companies and organizations with extensive experience in these fields.

CONTENT: • Events Marketing • Sports Marketing • Music Marketing • Web Marketing • Viral Marketing • Mobile & SMS Marketing • Direct Consumer Marketing • Social Marketing

This module will be capped by group project presentations that will showcase the participants’ mastery of the various brand activation tools in an actual marketing case.

BRAND ACTIVATION Resource Speaker Line­up

EVENTS MARKETING & MANAGEMENT ­ Bobby Sumulong, IMC Program Director

SPORTS MARKETING ­ Rod Nepomuceno, Managing Director, Crush Philippines

MUSIC MARKETING ­ Norman Agatep, Managing Director & Chief Creative Officer, Euro­ RSG)

WEB MARKETING ­ Robert John Oh, Managing Partner, Quantum X

VIRAL MARKETING ­ Ed Mapa, Jr., Managing Partner, Euro 4D Manila

MOBILE & SMS MARKETING ­ Jennifer Joy Santos, Head ­ Core Services, Globe Telecom, Inc.)

DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING ­ Perry Mogar, Head ­ Personal Care Strategic Unit, Unilab

SOCIAL MARKETING ­ Ernie Hernandez, President & CEO, Well Advertising & Marketing, Inc.)

Jun G. Alcantara Course Facilitator

• Jun is a Magna Cum Laude Graduate in Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the UST and was conferred the Rector’s Award for Academic Excellence by the same school.

• He took his MBA at De La Salle University, Manila. • His marketing career started with Unilever where he acquired his

expertise in the areas of Marketing Research, Brand Management, Sales Promotions and Special Events Management.

• While in Unilever, he was cross­posted to Unilever Indonesia for 2 years and trained in International Marketing and Advertising at the Unilever Head Office in Blackfriars, London.

• Jun had a 2­year stint with JWT Philippines where he managed mainly multinational accounts.

• He set up the marketing department of his current company ­ Asia Brewery, Inc. and launched most of its current brands in the market.

• Jun has extensive experience in the academe as professorial lecturer of top local universities for more than 15 years.

• He is a most sought after marketing trainer, handling in­house and public marketing seminars in and outside the country.

• He is actively involved in professional marketing and advertising organizations such as the PANA (President for 2 years), Advertising Foundation of the Philippines (Founding Pillar & Director), and AdBoard (Former Member of the Board and currently active in the Advertising Content & Regulation Committee).

COURSE OUTLINE INTRODUCTORY LECTURE ­ 3.0 hrs (Facilitator: AGA) • From Marketing Brands to Brand

Activation. Demystifying the Brand. Four Cornerstones of Brand Activation. Products & Services. Employees. Identity. Communication. What to Activate. Where to Start. Profitable Brand Activation. Successful Brand Activation Cases

EVENTS MARKETING & MANAGEMENT ­ 3.0 hrs

(Resource Person: BOBBY SUMULONG) • Understanding the Key Elements of

Events Marketing . The 5 C’s of Events Marketing. Brand Building Through Events Marketing. Integrating Events in the 4 P’s of Marketing . Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Events . Audience Quality Measurements. Best Practices in Events Marketing . Future Trends in Events Marketing

SPORTS MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs(Resource Speaker: ROD NEPOMUCENO) • The Business of Sports . Key Components

of Sports Marketing . Opportunities in Sports Marketing . Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Sports Events . The Value of Having a Sports Property . Integrating Sports Marketing Into the Marketing Plan . Best Practices in Sports Marketing

MUSIC MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: NORMAN AGATEP)• Uses of Music in Brand Marketing. Finding

Your Brand Voice through Soundbites, Soundmarks, and Musical Jingles. Various Music Marketing Formats . Measuring Music Marketing Effectiveness. Actual Music Marketing Cases . Future Trends in Music Marketing

COURSE OUTLINE WEB MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: ROBERT JOHN OH)• Understanding Internet Consumers .

Implementing Innovative Uses of the Internet . Creating a Website. Launching Your Business Online. Online Promotions. Measuring Results. Intranets. Workshop. Web 2.0. Making the Most Profit From Internet Marketing

VIRAL MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: ED MAPA) • What Viral Marketing is. Its Advantages and

Limitations. Types of Viral Messages. Methods of Transmission. Barriers to Viral Marketing. Integrating Viral Marketing Into the Brand’s Activation Program. Notable Examples

MOBILE & SMS MARKETING­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: JENNIFER JOY

SANTOS) • Emerging Trends in Mobile Marketing. Best

Uses on SMS Technology. Barriers to Effective Implementation. Integrating SMS Marketing into the Brand’s Activation Program. Actual Case Studies of Successful SMS Programs. Future Trends

DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: PERRY MOGAR) • Benefits, Major Channels, Stages and

Principal Functions of Direct Response Marketing . 25 Ways to Use Direct Marketing . Developing DRM Tools. Best Practices in Direct Response Marketing. Actual Case Discussions

COURSE OUTLINE

SOCIAL MARKETING ­ 3.0 hrs (Resource Speaker: ERNIE HERNANDEZ) • Commercial vs. Non­Commercial

Marketing. Marketing’s Role in NGOs. Guiding Principles in Social Marketing . The Social Marketing Model . Social Marketing Plan. The UNICEF Experience

COURSE RECAP &WORK ON FINAL PROJECT ­ 9.0 hrs

(Facilitator ­ AGA)

FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION ­ 6.0 hrs.

(Facilitator ­ AGA)

TOTAL ­ 42 HOURS

A Typical Strategic Marketing Process

• COMPANY OBJECTIVES ­ Where a company wants to go • MARKETING OBJECTIVES ­ What marketing can do to

help the company get there • MARKETING GOALS (Milestones) ­ How marketing will

achieve its Objectives • STRATEGIC PROMOTIONAL DISCIPLINES ­ Disciplines

used to achieve the Marketing Goals • METHODOLOGIES & APPROACHES ­ Ways in which the

Disciplines can be executed in various media • MEDIA ­ Communication channels where the marketer

executes the Disciplines

Brand activation is a natural step in the evolution of brands.

When all the necessary brand strategies are implemented, companies just need to execute

them across the organization and in the total offer towards the customer.

Brand activation is looking deeper into the possibilities within the brand, its strategy and position to find assets that have relevant long­

term consequences for the whole company.

Brand Activation Principles • To activate brand demand, we have to ignite the passion of the consumer with the power of a big idea.

• There is a need to emotionally connect the brand with the consumer at the right time, in the right place and in the right way, thus motivating consumer commitment.

• By turning insight into action, the brand’s reason to believe becomes more acceptable and understanding, and the opportunity to purchase becomes more promising.

To Illustrate… Activating Demand for Shell V­Power • Strategy: Partnership with Ferrari Cars • Values:

• Extrinsic ­ Ferrari partnership • Intrinsic ­ Cleaning properties of the brand.

• Result: Brand experience worked to educate and build deep, meaningful relationships between the Shell V­Power and the Consumer.

To Illustrate… Activating Demand for Domestos • Strategy: Brand activation in ‘hygienic’ venues (Clinics followed by homes of targeted communities)

• Elements: • In­home presentation (for spontaneous awareness) • Clinic presentation (to drive purchase intention)

• Result: Research showed that the clinic and in­home presentations were more effective when recalling the message of cleaning and germ killing (versus that of television).

From Marketing to Activation

• Successful companies evolved with peoples’ changing needs.

• They listen to their consumers and perceive them as individuals with specific preferences and needs.

• They see persons with individual values, not a mass of manipulated consumers.

To Illustrate… • Nike, Microsoft and Tommy Hilfiger put brands before

products claiming they no longer produce things but images of their brands.

• Financials institutions such as banks are starting to abandon the idea of diversified brand strategies but instead are bundling different services and offering financial planning based on their individual financial situation.

• Southwest Airlines distinguish themselves by having singing flight attendants onboard. Their mission “highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride and Company Spirit.”

The Corporate Role of Brands • Companies are increasingly getting dependent on their brands as competitive weapons.

• Brands have become the carrier of the emotional value proposition towards the consumers.

• They symbolize specific competence that builds up the company’s competitive advantage.

• Thus, brands must rise up to the challenge of giving meaning to the company’s whole relationship with its consumers.

In order to earn consumer trust and loyalty

it is time for the rest of the company to take benefit

of the assets embodied in the brand.

Brands Work When…

• They simplify everyday choices (for basic necessities) • They reduce risk of complicated buying decisions (for technology­based products)

• They provide emotional benefits (for personal care products)

• They offer a sense of community (for image­related products)

• They create a relationship (for long­term trust products)

• They create accessibility (for convenience products)

Demystifying the Brand

It’s time to make the brand a common knowledge among all employees;

so that it can be a source for innovation and new ideas among all competencies within the company’s organization.

Four Cornerstones • Products and services • Employees • Identity • Communication

• An active brand is perceived as “one coherent company” whether the consumer encounters it through traditional advertising, digital or analog media, the product, face to face or through telephone.

Effective Activation Starts with a Defined Brand

• Brand positioning describes the marketing opportunities of conquering a specific position in the mind of the target audience.

• This position must have strategic advantages towards competitors to be profitable.

To Illustrate…

Avis’ “We try harder” • By positioning the brand as the second brand in the car rental market, Avis gave meaning to why they had to work harder than its’ worst competitor to please their customers.

Apple Computer’s “Think different” • Gave meaning to the bite in the apple; to a different operative system and, later on, a different approach to product design.

Where Activation Starts… • When exploring the brand for activation, search for answers to how the brand can be relevant, adaptable and profitable for the four areas, respectively.

• Add a fourth question; how is this measurable? • There must exist a strategic brand work as platform for brand activation efforts. Search for solutions where the brand can support, guide and innovate the company.

The Role of Employees

Since employees are one of the most important carriers of a brand, this question may be raised:

• How do companies give employees inspiration, education and tools to perform on the expectations created by marketing promises?

Relevant Positioning? McDonald’s • McDonald's vision is to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience.

• The mission is to get the customer satisfied as fast as possible – and to leave just as fast with a happy face.

• On the corporate homepage, McDonald’s states: “This means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile”.

• The question to ask here is: How can the company mission be relevant to low paid staff in the fast food industry? And what makes people smile in a fast food restaurant?

Adaptable Positioning? SAS • The company has chosen to let the company’s Scandinavian heritage form the foundation for its’ brand.

• The company describes the typical Scandinavian character as “informal and unpretentious, straightforward and honest, modest and with a lighthearted glint in the eye”.

• The challenge is to define how the brand position “It’s Scandinavian” can help flight attendants understand how to meet their passengers.

• What inspirational guidelines can every employee agree upon, when breaking down the brand into behavior and attitude?

Adaptable Positioning? Statoil • In some companies, the brand may not be stated or articulated in

a way that easily translates into personal behavior, attitude or mission etc. For example, how is the mission adaptable to employees at the petrol company Statoil?

• At the corporate homepage, Statoil states: “The mission is to make our customer’s every day life easier through personal service, care and quality, and through attractive locations and opening hours make it possible for the customer to shop more from one same place”.

• Considering this, employees at a Statoil service location better be prepared to serve the customer with a lot more than filling cars with petrol. What can you as an employee at a petrol station do to make people’s life easier?

Profitable Positioning? Nordstrom • The American luxury department store Nordstrom declares that

“no customer should leave the department store without being satisfied and happy”. Nordstrom also has identified the people closest to the customer as the most important employees since they have best opportunities to effectively satisfy the customer. Therefore there is only one company rule;

• “Rule # 1. Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules”.

• At Nordstrom, no employee has to seek their boss to make decisions regarding customers.

• In the realization of the declaration, employees are offered a lucrative commission and bonus deal making it possible to earn more than you would in the assembly room.

Profitable Positioning? Southwest Airlines • The company promises that they will entertain everybody

during the flight, because they love what they are doing. • So, the flight attendant grabs the microphone to give the

obligatory safety precautions – but today she is rapping; “Federal regulations says you must comply/If you don’t you can kiss seatmate goodbye”.

• Now, what makes her rap? Kathy Pettit, Director of Customer says; “Make the working place the most fun place to be at”, and explains, “Skip uniforms and formalities. Have lots of competitions, celebrate as often as possible and encourage practical jokes and pranks. Let prices rain over the employees. You will be surprised of how much people are willing to give when they feel loved and acknowledged”.

The Role of Products & Services • How do we activate the brand through products and

services? And how do we make sure that products and services live up to advertising promises?

• By aligning these questions, emotional preferences can be attached differing products with similar functional attributes.

• GM and Toyota build two more or less identical cars (the Toyota Corolla and the Chevrolet Prizm), both models designed by Toyota in their joint venture plant in California. The models have similar functional benefits and both models score high in consumer reports.

• Yet, selling the Chevrolet Prizm requires $750 more in buyer incentives, only one­quarter as many Prizm are sold, and their trade­in value depreciates much more quickly.

Emotional preferences differ products with similar

functional attributes.

Relevant Positioning? Apple Computer • The brand doesn’t offer a unique functional benefit that cannot be offered by other computer companies.

• Still, “Think Different” casts new light on the purpose and perceived benefit of Apple computers and computer accessories.

• The company’s mission is to deliver high quality computing products with a different experience.

• Apple is a great example on how the brand can alter the way consumers look at benefits on commodity products.

Adaptable Positioning? • How do you make products state the brand? In the insurance industry, it’s sometimes hard to tell one brand from the other just by reading the product and service offer – with one exception.

• The insurance company Progressive decided to restructure their auto insurance offer to deliver on the promise of customer service. Instead of having in­house representatives, Progressive took their brand promise to the extreme and put claims representatives in Immediate Response Vehicles that could come right to the scene of an accident.

• In doing so, Progressive clearly demonstrates how the brand can cast new light on the total customer offer.

• Brand activation efforts can ignite a total reconstruction of the product offer or reveal new opportunities for specific products.

• Brand activation may also result in less revolutionary measures, e.g. sales support or development of new products.

• During the process, opportunities to expand your category, or to move into closely related ones, can appear.

• Gillette expanded the razor category to include shaving gel and other skin lotion products.

• Disney is focused to entertain all living ages, but their offer is diversified into a variety of product categories.

Brand Activation Through Sports

Coca­Cola’s Ignition"Olympic Torch Relay" • Coca­Cola brought its sponsorship of the Olympic Torch Relay to life

by creating the first­ever global mobile marketing tour.• The relay hit 34 cities in 27 countries over a 35­day span, with Coca­

Cola street teams in each location. Local Coke marketing teams helped create relevant activation in each city: The Mexico City leg, for example, featured floats and flamenco dancers, the London stop had branded double­decker buses and Rod Stewart, and the Los Angeles relay wrapped with Tom Cruise carrying the torch into Dodger Stadium before a game.”It was local, national, and international,” said Coke relay director David Brooks.

• Branded trucks followed the torch route in each city, playing music and distributing samples and swag. At the end of the each city’s relay, Coke held celebrations with live music and showed a video recapping the day’s events on large, portable LED screens.

• More than 11 million people experienced the relay, and the tour generated an average of more than 100 print articles and 20­plus TV stories in each market. The company even used its stops in four U.S. markets to help launch its C2 brand.

New Balance’s"Chicago Marathon"• Proving events can indeed push volume. “It taught us an amazing

amount,” says NB head of marketing and promotions Karin Piscitelli ­ New Balance used its sponsorship of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon to ring cash registers at retail.

• Customers who spent $100 on New Balance product at any of 25 participating retailers received a New Balance Marathon Passport, which allowed access to three exclusive viewing areas along the marathon route, including a grandstand at the finish line. The brand provided free shuttle service to transport passport holders among the New Balance Nation spots.

• Retailers dished out 4,000 passports leading up to the race, of which 1,500 were used on race day. Leading up to race day, New Balance touted its sponsorship around Chicago via mobile billboards, live statues, and building projections in high­traffic areas. At the pre­race expo, visitors to the New Balance booth could play the If the Shoe Fits game for a chance to win prizes. More than 800 customers tried on shoes as part of the game, and booth sales shot up 11 percent over the previous year.

Women’s Basketball Activation Plan

• While everyone in the athletics department is responsible for ensuring the success of a branding initiative for women’s basketball, a well­constructed marketing and communications plan will provide the impetus for success.

• The basic element of any successful marketing and communications campaign is to convince the public that the product being promoted is a commodity that they either want or need.

• The head women’s basketball coach and the entire coaching staff are key figures in the success of a sound marketing and communications plan. Their participation, as well as their student­athletes, will give the plan instant credibility and visibility within the athletics department, the media and the community.

• The following strategies are designed to provide an institution with a model for promoting women’s college basketball as a valuable commodity and a plan communicating this value.

Major Objectives of a Basketball Marketing and Communications Plan

• To educate the general public about the institution’s women’s basketball team.

• To create awareness of the sport within the institution and the community.

• To promote the sport as a valuable commodity to be sought by the consumer.

• To increase attendance at women’s basketball games.

Strategies to Reach Goals • Strategies for reaching those goals may differ from institution to

institution. It is critical to determine realistic goals for your women’s college basketball marketing and communications efforts. In that respect, how one program defines success may be different than what another program considers a success.

• Once goals are identified, select strategies for reaching those goals and budgets for implementing the strategies.

• These strategies should include the development of: – A media relations plan. – An advertising campaign plan. – A grass­roots marketing plan. – A promotions plan. – A campus and community communications plan.

Elements of a Successful Marketing Plan

• Situation analysis. Identify key issues, key opportunities, key shareholders and any important trends.

• Identification of resources. Staff, time, budget, etc. Create a marketing team that is representative of all stakeholders.

• Competitive analysis. Identify any competition, such as another major event that will also be of interest to the target audience.

• Goals. Identify attendance and awareness level goals.

Elements of a Successful Marketing Plan

• Identification of target markets. Identify groups of individuals to whom the sport could be successfully promoted.

• Development of plans for reaching each target market. Develop a strategic plan for promoting the sport to each identified target audience.

• Development of evaluation tools. Measure the success of your program during and after the season concludes. Include short­term and long­term measurable outcomes.

Elements of a Successful Communications Plan

• Set goals and objectives. Determine what is to be accomplished by the public relations campaign and plan to meet these goals and objectives.

• Identify experts and available resources who can help. There are numerous experts available and willing to assist with this plan. You might even want to form a committee to offer and/or help implement ideas.

• Put the campaign in writing. Provide a road map for implementing activities leading up to and throughout the season.

• Select target audiences. Identify key audiences, fans, student­ athletes, alumni, the public at large, commercial entities (current or future) ­ that should be reached and what will interest them.

Elements of a Successful Communications Plan

• Identify tactics to communicate to key audiences. Communication tactics may include traditional channels, such as media and Web sites, as well as non­ media channels, such as grass­roots or ‘word­of­mouth’ by groups that are naturally enthusiastic about the sport. Coach and student­athlete involvement in delivering the message to the community is critical for success.

• Evaluate the campaign. Not only should the campaign be evaluated at the end of the season, but it should also be monitored throughout the entire implementation process to ensure that the goals and objectives of the plan are met and exceeded. The implementation of this initiative must be a long­term objective, with measurable benchmarks. Success will be realized through a long­term, season­to­season, month­to­month, day­to­day commitment.

Marketing and Promotions • Advertising ­ e.g., television, radio and print advertising to reflect a family­ oriented game.

• In­market displays ­ e.g., promoting a high quality of play.

• Youth initiatives ­ e.g., family­oriented activities that promote interaction with student­athletes, youth clinics, meet­the­team activities, etc.

• Themed promotional activities ­ e.g., focusing on family and youth programs such as Take a Kid to the Game and family ticket discount packages.

• Schedule cards, posters and magnets ­ e.g., displaying fundamentally sound players and high quality of play.

Marketing and Promotions • E­mail blasts ­ e.g., conveying any of the five characteristics.

• Web site content ­ e.g., look, feel and content to support the attributes.

• Engaging fans of other sports (e.g., men’s basketball fans, volleyball fans, baseball fans) to women’s basketball ­ e.g., cross promotions between games.

• Target group communication ­ e.g., youth groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, elementary and middle schools, YMCA, local recreational leagues, corporate entities and community service groups.

Summing Up: Why the Need for Brand Activation

Traditional ways of marketing communications such as advertising are losing their effectiveness due to:

• Increasing clutter in all types of media • Reduced reach and impact • Failure of advertising to connect with the customers What Brand Activation Can Do • Enhance the effectiveness of the traditional modes of

communications as they can be more focused to a particular target market

• A versatile tool that can be customized to cater to the communications needs of specific industries

• Can act as a logical and impactful end to an advertising campaign when there is a need to shift to a new campaign involving a different promotional mix

• Fits well with new forms of media

Events Marketing & Management

What Are Events? • Events are occurrences designed to communicate particular messages to target audiences (Kotler)

• A live­multimedia package – carried out with a pre­conceived concept, – customized to achieve the client’s objectives of reaching out and influencing, specially gathered target audience

– provides a complete sensual experience and an avenue for 2­way interaction

Events Marketing ­ 5 C’s • Conceptualization (creative idea and ambience)

• Costing (estimates of production costs and margins)

• Canvassing (for sponsors, customers/audience and networking components)

• Customization (of the concept to customers’ needs and marketing objectives)

• Carrying­out (execution of the event)

Audience Reach Audience Reach • Implies exposing the event to the right number of the

right audience. External Reach • Exposure of an event to the target audience obtained

through a networking mix (pre­publicity, advertising and event networking with other media).

Actual Event Reach • The number of people from the target audience who

actually respond to the publicity campaign and attend

the event.

Interaction • Interaction ­ Exchange of various types of information between the

clients and their target audience. • Client’s Point of View: Face­to­face Interaction aids in convincing the

target audience about their products. • Audience’s Point of View: Interaction enables them to clear doubts

and apprehensions that may exist in their minds about the client’s product.

• Interaction Points ­ Designated areas of the venue along with particular time slots where interaction is to take place.

• Direct Interaction ­ Takes place between the client(s) and the target audience during the actual event.

• Indirect Interaction ­ Built around the event and not during the actual event e.g. POS at a retailer outlet.

• Enablers ­ Interaction catalysts, an anchor that keeps the event on track.

Why Events? • Unique ability to break through the clutter • Literally bring products to participate in an innovative and

personally involving manner • Subtly, yet effectively, reinforce brand image through an

event association using celebrities. • Communication through live media integrates the

functions of advertising, sales promotions and public relations.

• Addresses the diverse marketing needs of a company, thus plays a key role in an integrated marketing campaign.

Events Help in Brand Building by… • Creating awareness about the launch of new brands

(The enormous number of launches leads the need to overcome the “oh­yet­another­product syndrome”)

• Highlighting the added features of the product or service (It is imperative that dealers and retailers take part in exhibitions to educate the customers on the changes that have taken place and how they will benefit more)

• Rejuvenating brands during the different stages of the product life cycle (Events offer the best medium for focused spending needed during the various life cycle stages)

Events Help in Brand Building by: • Communicating the repositioning of brands

(Events can be designed to assist in changing beliefs about firms, products and services)

• Associating the brand personality with the target market (Example: Events organized by Citibank will always have a classy image)

• Creating and maintaining brand identity (Example: With ‘Australianness’ as the core of its brand identity, Forter’s Beer chose the game Cricket where Aussies are known as the best team in the world to identify with)

• Image building (Sponsoring events such as the Olympic Games helps establish the sponsors as truly global players)

Events Help in Focusing the Target Market

by: • Helping in clutter avoidance

(Title sponsorship of a major event provides the sponsor immense benefit since the sponsor’s name is mentioned along with the event)

• Enabling interactive mode of communication (Opportunity for buyers and sellers to interact. A forum for knowledge exchange and sharing between professionals through interaction points such as seminars, workshops or conferences)

Events Help Carry Out Certain Marketing Activities

by: • Enabling authentic test marketing the target

(opportunity for test marketing of products for authentic feedback) • Enabling focused sales and communication to a captive

audience (audience is bound to witness one particular event)

• Increasing customer traffic in stores (Events can be conceptualized to increase customer traffic)

• Enabling sales promotions (Sales is a very significant gainer from the benefits that events offer)

Events Help Carry Out Certain Marketing Activities

by: • Helping in relationship building and PR activities

(Event marketing campaigns have the ability to create long­lasting relationships with closely targeted market segments)

• Enthusing and motivating the sales team (Sometimes, events are used as a platform to kick off a product within the company)

• Providing an avenue to affirm presence (Events re­affirm the company’s presence in the minds of stakeholders and the general public)

Events Help Carry Out Certain Marketing Activities

by: • Generating immediate sales

(Most events let firms install an exclusive booth and give the permission to exploit the opportunity to merchandise)

• Generating instant publicity (An event can be designed to generate instant publicity upon the implementation of a marketing strategy)

• Recruiting new distributors and sales representatives (In events such as trade shows and exhibitions, a sort of industrial courtship can also be seen. Firms are constantly on the look out for new distributors and sales reps in newer territories)

Events Help in Conducting Marketing Research

by: • Creating and maintaining a panel of consumers

(Surveys or announcements during events can be used to attract and select from the audience a truly representative panel of consumers)

• Enabling market database assimilation, maintenance and updating (By keeping track of the reach and its effectiveness as well as interacting with the audience, event sponsors can assimilate an authentic database)

• Providing instant feedback and opportunity for an authentic and instant market research (Events provide a host of audience­friendly occasions to collect customer feedback)

Events Help in Relationship Building

by: • Giving relationship management a proactive feel

(Events help in building up rapport with customers and helping reduce cognitive dissonance, thereby leading to increased repeat purchase)

• Creating a forum for bringing together key corporate influencers, decision­makers and businessmen (Events have the potential to bring together the key people responsible for relationship building)

• Creating a forum for career match making (Events can facilitate a friendly and face­to­face interaction between applicants and prospective employers)

Problems with Traditional Media • Too many ads, cluttering TV, print and other media

• Increasing number of TV channels and programs resulting in fragmentation of viewership

• Proliferation of low intensity television viewers who view a little of each channel without full attention

• Media cost inflation and media planning becoming more complex

Advantages Offered by Events • Leads to lowering of the media networking budgets and focused communication with specially gathered audience

• Word­of­mouth publicity even long after the event provides an advantage of higher brand recall

• Involvement of all senses in experiencing the event while its happening, a certain amount of immediacy

• Live media enables interactive communication and a complete sensual experience

Advantages Offered by Events • It is possible to feel and deduce the reactions of the

audience vs. the objectives for the event • Specific traits of the local inhabitants can be incorporated

to ensure that the event is culturally relevant • Post­event publicity over and above paid or bartered media • Conversion of good events into television software for

profitable use in the future • Provide a solution to deal with the legal restrictions on

marketing communication (e.g. ban on cigarette advertising)

Key Elements of Events

Organizer Infrastructure

Venue Target Audience

Media Client

EVENT

Key Elements of Events 1. EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE • Includes those essential elements without which there

won’t be any event: – Core Concept ­ fundamental underlying ethos and evolution of various categories of events

– Core People ­ the people who are performing or participating in the events

– Core Talent ­ the one that attracts and influences the audience

– Core Structure ­ organization for efficient management

Key Elements of Events 2. TARGET AUDIENCE • The customer groups who form the focus of events 3. CLIENTS • The people or organizations who act as sponsors

Client’s Usual ‘Excuses’ for Using Events: – Presence of competitors – Cheap availability of the event – Because the event was used in the previous years – Fear that their absence will create negative publicity Some client considerations: Set objectives for the event, Contracts with event organizers, Location of banners, Post­ event follow­up

Key Elements of Events 4. EVENT ORGANIZERS Why the need for event organizers:

– Events require physical presence of various professionals that need to be managed

– Dealing with legal hassles require professional expertise – Networking with media, facility providers and suppliers requires full time involvement

5. VENUE • Some events are venue­driven e.g. sports, concerts • Venue considerations: availability, customer traffic, rental

arrangements, concept­fit, merchandising facilities and exclusivity

Key Elements of Events 6. MEDIA • Event­specific communication mix designed to act as the

front end to inform and entice the audience • 3 Stages of Media Campaign: Pre­event, During and Post­

event • Media Forms: Broadcast, Print, Press Conference &

Releases, Live coverage and Reporting, the Internet, Interviews and Reviews

• 2 Types of Media Arrangement: Paid media publicity and Barter (Media companies as sponsors). Most common barter deals include ­ hospitality, food & beverages and transport

Concept of Market in Events • Market ­ consists of all the potential customers sharing a

particular need or want who might be willing and able to engage in exchange to satisfy that need or want

• Types of Clients: Revenue ­ generating & Non­revenue generating

• Revenue­generating CLIENTS include: – Institutions who are involved in the leisure industry and sports

– Corporate houses and other institutions, both internal and external events

– Media houses who need specific campaigns for their services and products

– Revenue­generating TARGET AUDIENCE includes those who pay for their presence at the event

Concept of Market in Events

• Non ­ Revenue­generating CLIENTS include: – Impresarios (Influencers) ­ Businessmen, ambassadors, foreign embassy officials, etc. are needed for their potential to influence prospective clients

– Advertising Agencies ­ These may need events to be organized for their clients in tandem with a particular media campaign

– Regulatory Bodies ­ The play a role as customers as they have a say in the success of the event and thus need to be serviced with utmost patience and care (e.g. Tax & Police authorities)

Segmentation & Targeting • Success of an event depends on the right segmentation and targeting of customers

• Segmentation helps identify the synergies between the target audience and the client

• Once the market segments had been defined, it is imperative that the event organizer selects one or more of these segments to enter, consolidate and grow

• To do this, evaluation of each segment as to its attractiveness is essential (based on objectives and resources)

Positioning in Events & the Concept of Event Property

Positioning • Each target segment needs to be studied for possible

positioning ideas. These are then selected, developed and communicated.

Event Property • That feature of an event concept that detaches it from

threats of competitive intrusion and ownership. Retaining Event Property • Threading an event property into the event concept

perpetuates the event giving it a whole new aura of exclusivity.

Concept of Product in Events • An event should meet both the tangible and intangible needs and aspirations of the event user.

• Most events are customized for the particular client depending on the objectives.

• The most fundamental aspect is the event infrastructure and the core benefits attached with each event.

• An event by itself can be called a product and can be classified into different levels.

Benefit Levels • The core benefit offered by any event is the reach with

interaction for brand building. • Generic Event ­ any kind of event e.g. competitive events • Expected Event ­ involves the perfect fit between the

concept, the client and the audience • Augmented Event ­ could provide a complete

communications package, media ride along, special treatment and benefit offers with other events as negotiated

• A potential product could be the coverage of events as television software material for post­event benefit

Event Categories & Their Characteristics • Variations in the core concepts distinguish the various

categories of events. • Based on this principle, events as a marketing tool can be

broadly categorized as follows: » Competitive Events » Artistic Expression » Cultural Celebrations » Exhibition Events » Charitable Events » Special Business Events

Competitive Events Core Concept • This may involve a test of physical strength, mental

ability and talent or a combination of these. Types of Competitive Events

– Sporting events – Artistic Talents – Knowledge Levels

Characteristics • The most popular events category • Tends to be mass oriented • Provide more reach and fewer interactions Benefits • Visibility and exposure to the brands • Prolonged impact • Corporate/Brand awareness • Consolidating the positioning of brands • Merchandising and sale of licensed products around the

event.

Artistic Expression Types of events for artistic expression:

– Music concerts, dance ballets and other stage performances to entertain the audience

Benefits: – Consolidation of the image of their brands – Post­event mileage – Excellent coverage prospects – Live or deferred telecast – An avenue for personification of the brand image – Universal appeal among different sectors of society

Cultural Celebrations Types of celebration: • Fairs and festivals which have their roots in

religious tradition and rituals. Benefits: • A strategy for focusing on a particular community • Reach into the heart of the rural population • A platform for mass communication • An opportunity to communicate to­the­point • Avoid any sort of clutter • Chance to innovate • Direct sale opportunity

Exhibition Events Types of Exhibition Events: • Exhibitions, trade shows, displays in a common location for the

purpose of either sales or just display Benefits: • Quick awareness and enlightenment about a product or service • Generates an aura of excitement around the brand due to media hype • Live demos educate potential buyers in handling the products • Opportunity to create a database on prospective customers • Opportunity to interact with end­consumers face­to­face • Venue for testing new product concepts, styles and models • Opportunity to test an ad copy • Mode of distribution for direct marketing firms

Charitable Events Core concept: • Collection and dispersal of funds for social welfare and

creating awareness for a worthy cause Types of Charitable Events: Music concerts, athletic

events, fashion shows, etc. Benefits: • Societal marketing opportunity • Positive rub­off on the firm’s image • Free media publicity • Better than the best advertising for goodwill generation • A possibility of the entertainment tax being waived

Special Business & Retail Events Special Business Events: • Being different and getting noticed for direct commercial gain

e.g Product launches Retail Events: • Merchandising Events ­ aimed at increasing customer traffic in

the outlet (e.g. celebrity visits) • Demonstrations & Showings ­ useful in explaining the features

of a new product • Special Sales Inducements ­ e.g. buy 1 take 1 sale, P99 pricing • Film & Television­based Events ­ special showings like movie

premieres • Web­based Events ­ activities that are internet friendly, targeted

towards yuppies

Event Variations – Sponsored Events – Partially Sponsored Events – Ticketed Events – Budget­based Events – Big Budget Events – Small Budget Events – Location­based Events – International/Overseas Events – Domestic Events (rural events & City­ based events)

– Multi­location – Value­based – Low value/ High value

Concept of Pricing in Events Checklist for Pricing of Events: • Value ­ Will the event provide the right and unique value to clients

and target audience? • Economics ­ Are there competitors lurking in the dark? Is the

market big enough? • Marketing ­ What are the best techniques to promote the event? • Finance ­ What costing system to be used taking into consideration

the cash­flow? • Target Return ­ Helps understand if the event is worth going into • Supply & Demand ­ Competition whether direct or indirect • Market Research ­ Info gathering to compare with competitors • Strategy Development ­ Should be decided keeping the marketing

strategy in perspective

Concept of Pricing in Events Checklist for Pricing of Events: • Strategic Planning ­ Helps minimizing the risks involved • Implementation ­ Use internal resources or outside organizers? • Break­even Analysis ­ Production and selling expenses vs. sales

projections • Cash Flow ­ Not only sales but also actual recovery of money is very

important • Distribution ­ Refers to the outlets where event tickets are available • Risk Rating ­ Leads to a decision on whether to continue with the

event or not • Networking Mix ­ Costs involved in the networking • Pricing Policy ­ Use going rate technique or other methods • Discounting ­ Part of the pricing decision

Concept of Promotion in Events Networking Components (for successful events publicity): • Print Media ­ essential for pre­event and post­event publicity • Radio & TV ­ for event publicity and coverage • The Internet ­ for on­line registration, dispensing information and

providing e­commerce related opportunities • Cable Network ­ most beneficial for a highly localized reach and

coverage of events • Outdoor Media ­ essential for pre­event publicity close to the events

venue • Direct Marketing, Sales Promotions, Audience Interaction ­ to closely

link merchandising opportunities with the event • Public Relations ­ to maintain positive image for the event and its

organizers • In­Venue Publicity ­ usually leaves a lasting impression on the

audience at the venue

Activities in Event Management Planning • Planning tries to optimize resources utilization across the

board • The planning function is involved in micro­level event

coordination activities such as: – Liaison with the creative team with regards technical specs

– Short­listing artists and performers – Checking out alternative event locations – Arranging licenses, clearances, etc. – Dealing with practical realities such as transportation, logistics and travels

Activities in Event Management Organizing & Staffing • Event coordinators are essentially required for the

organizing part of the event • Functional responsibilities in a project type organization

structure define event management staffing requirements • The importance of team structure, experience, background

and expertise of team members plays a crucial role in event management

• Sales and marketing personnel are part of the team negotiating with prospective clients to ensure the client­ concept fit for the event right through the execution of the event.

Activities in Event Management Leading & Coordination • The sum and substance of events revolves around

interpersonal skills. • The main aim is to achieve team goal by achieving synergy

among individual efforts Controlling • Evaluation and correction of deviations in the event plans

to ensure conformity with original plans is the gist of controlling

• The basic evaluation process in events involves 3 steps: establishing tangible objectives; measuring performance before, during and after the event and correcting deviations from plans

Evaluation of Event Performance

The Basic Evaluation Process: 3 Steps – Establishing tangible objectives and incorporating sensitivity in evaluation

– Measuring the performance before, during and after the event

– Correcting deviations from plans

The Basic Evaluation Process Establishing Tangible Objectives: • 1st Step ­ Define the target audience for whom the event

has been organized • 2nd Step ­ Identify and put on paper what each of the

audience is expected to think, feel and do having been to the event, that it did not think, feel or do beforehand

Measuring Performance: • Concept Research ­ used to anticipate the viability of a

concept during the conceptualization process • Formative & Objective Evaluation ­ carried out during the

customization phase of the event • Summative Evaluation ­ can be carried out to measure

performance during the event

The Basic Evaluation Process

Correcting Deviations • Since deviations may occur during any stage in the event designing phase, it is important that measurement is carried out at all possible stages

Critical Evaluation Points: Event Organizers’ Point of View

• Audience reach and interaction • Client­event­target audience fit • Maximum profitability with minimum mark­ups • Resource management efficiency • Logistics and efficiency of event execution • Opportunities for exploitation of synergies and

expansion of services • Degree of flexibility in localization or customization

of the concept

Critical Evaluation Points: Event Clients’ Point of View

• Number of interaction points (the greater the interaction points, the better for the client)

• Number of Interactions (the greater the opportunity for increasing the number of interaction, the better)

• Quality of Interaction (good interaction happens when there is an avenue for 2­way interaction)

• Time duration of interaction (the greater the duration of interaction, the more chances for some meaningful and decisive interactions between the clients and the audience)

• Actual variations in commercial numbers for the client

Audience Quality Measurements Net Buying Influences • The ratio of the number of audience that can

recommend, specify or approve purchase to the total population at the event

Total Buying Plans • The percentage of the audience planning to buy a

product/service from the sponsors’ stables within the next 12 months after the show

Average Audience Interest • The percentage of audience that shows an interest in the

sponsors’ products or services during the event itself and immediately after