Stephen Poole Consultancy

“Ambush marketing” may seem to be a relatively new concept that has come about as a result of the lucrative benefits and fees of sponsorship of major sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup.  In fact the term "ambush marketing" was coined by marketing strategist Jerry Welsh, while he was working as the manager of global marketing efforts for American Express back in the 1980s.

Ambush marketing often raises a smile because the cheeky upstart gets one over the bigger brand by their ‘unauthorised’ (unpaid for) association with an event. 
But, for event organisers, ambush marketing is not a laughing matter.

The increasing cost of sponsorships increases the sponsor's emphasis on return-on-investment. When sponsored events do not give exclusivity, the sponsor's interest in the property is greatly diminished and the value of the sponsorship is diminished - sponsors simply can’t get the return they have the right to anticipate. 

As corporate sponsorship is one of the biggest revenue sources for the event organizers, the loss in sponsorship value will affect the financial strength of the event organiser.

It’s easy to see then, why organisers go to considerable lengths to protect the intellectual property rights and hard-earned goodwill of their events.

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics plan to defend their £670m in sponsorship deals with an intimidating £20,000 fine if small businesses are caught using any words, logos or the mere suggestion of an Olympics link in their marketing. And this year the virtual space is also to be policed, as Twitter and FourSquare agree to block ads and check-ins that bend the rules.

So, the fourth rule is prepare for ambush.

Editor’s note:

I have worked on a number of events including;
The International Balloon Fiesta, The Bristol Harbour Festival, The Bath & West Show and The Thornbury Carnival. Over the next six months I shall be writing a series of articles that will cover the 'Golden Rules of Event Organisation' in the run-up to the Olympics.

If you have an event to organise and can’t wait that long, then my contact details are on every page of this website - I look forward to hearing from you. 

April Fools Day used to consist largely of pulling harmless pranks on people. 

The April 1 tradition in France and Italy, includes “poisson d’avril” and "pesce d'aprile!" attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed and then shouting “april fish!” in their respective languages. 
And, April Fools' shenanigans do not come much more harmless than that!

So when exactly did April Fools’ Day become a marketing opportunity?

Well, Google has been excelling in April Foolery since Y2K when they kicked off with their MentalPlex as a smarter, faster way to search the internet. 

This year they came up with Google Roo. Where they announced plans to supplement Street View, via Street Roo, by deploying a ‘roo force’ with cameras strapped to their heads.

Possibly the best for 2012 was YouTube (Google owned): the YouTube DVD collection  where a fleet of 175 YouTube trucks would be dispatched and thousands of catalogued, nested boxes of DVDs delivered to your home. Then because roughly an hour of video is uploaded every second, you’ll receive another truckload every week. 

Most companies successfully poke fun at a product or service being sold and simply make their target market chuckle. Really successful companies make people think. 

At the end of the day, YouTube seem to have made the point that there really is no sensible alternative to their website.

If one of the reasons why you want to run an event is to gain media coverage, then you must ask ‘What is it about this event that will make the media want to cover it' - do you have a good story? 

• Does it have a strong news hook? 
• Does it have strong local relevance?
• Does it have an obvious target?
• Does it highlight a timely issue

You are far more likely to get have a successful event if you make people think, if you're entertaining, challenging, creative, informative. And, if you can involve children or celebrities, so much the better.

So, the third rule is Have a good story.

Editor’s note:

I have worked on a number of events including;

The International Balloon Fiesta, The Bristol Harbour Festival, The Bath & West Show and The Thornbury Carnival. Over the next six months I shall be writing a series of articles that will cover the 'Golden Rules of Event Organisation' in the run-up to the Olympics.

If you have an event to organise and can’t wait that long, then my contact details are on every page of this website - I look forward to hearing from you. 

The Rudyard Kipling a poem accompanying the tale of "The Elephant's Child" written in 1902 opens with:

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

By 1917 the 5 W’s (and one H) were taught as a news style for journlists, and now, thinking through these questions will create a basic event planning framework. A little obvious perhaps, but the answers will help keep your planning on course:

• What kind of event will you run? Indoor? Outdoor? Site based? What is the nature of the opportunity?
• Why do you want to hold the event?
• When do you want to do it? Is it time critical? Is there an external agenda driving this? Is it weather dependent? 
• How much is it going to cost? How will you promote the event?
• Where's the money going to come from? Marketing budget? Sponsorship? Where do you want to do it (venue, site)? Where will you get your audience?
• Who is doing it? Who are your potential allies or partners? Who do you want to influence? Who will come to it?  Who is going to do all the work? 

When you you’ve answered these questions, ask yourself this - Have you got enough time?

So, the second rule is Have answers for all the 5 W’s (and one H).

Editor’s note:

I have worked on a number of events including;
The International Balloon Fiesta, The Bristol Harbour Festival, The Bath & West Show and The Thornbury Carnival. Over the next six months I shall be writing a series of articles that will cover the 'Golden Rules of Event Organisation' in the run-up to the Olympics.

If you have an event to organise and can’t wait that long, then my contact details are on every page of this website - I look forward to hearing from you. 

Whether you're planning an event involving big numbers, like a public art trail, an exhibition, a festival or conference, or a flash mob or photo opportunity, the steps are the same. The only things that change are the time-frame, the team size and the budget. 

Why run an event? 

Events contribute enormous benefits to your marketing campaign and can:

• engage your target audience
• raise awareness 
• build alliances 
• communicate directly to people's emotions, and intellect
• empower affiliates, clients, customers, employees and partners alike

Whatever the reason you do it, holding a successful event can say a lot about you, your group, your organisation, and what you stand for. Sadly, the same is true for an unsuccessful event - so the better planned it is, the more effective you're likely to be.

So, the first rule is Understand why you are running the event.

Editor’s note:

I have worked on a number of events including;

The International Balloon Fiesta, The Bristol Harbour Festival, The Bath & West Show and The Thornbury Carnival. Over the next six months I shall be writing a series of articles that will cover the 'Golden Rules of Event Organisation' in the run-up to the Olympics.

If you have an event to organise and can’t wait that long, then my contact details are on every page of this website - I look forward to hearing from you. 

Who do you love?

When did you last tell your clients that you loved them? On Valentine’s Day send a greetings card or other mailing to simply thank them for their business. This simple act will make them feel valued, and will also keep your business or services fresh in their mind.

Who loves you? 

One of the greatest marketing tools available is the customer testimonial. Send a “Looking for Love” greetings card or other mailing that asks current clients for their feedback. 

Happy clients will provide testimonials that you can use to promote your business, and at the same time they will be reminded about how great your services were.

Freelancers and small business owners can significantly affect their earnings potential by showing their appreciation for others, and asking others to do the same.

New Year’s Day is the first day of the calendar year.
Not all countries or cultures celebrate New Year on the 1st of January. 

Today is the start of the Year of the Dragon.

The Year of the Dragon will be notable for excitement, exhilaration, intensity and unpredictability. The Spirit of the Dragon calls for energy and enthusiasm, and a quick check of my horoscope reveals the reason why... I can look forward to a year of discipline and hard work! Fortunately, in return, I shall enjoy peace of mind and great rewards. 

Success will come from allowing my imagination to act as a conduit for my willpower. And, best of all - nothing is impossible if I follow through on well-defined objectives.

The Year of the Dragon will clearly be an eventful one. 
In the UK this year we will host the 2012 Olympics and celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. These are events that have benefitted from years of preparation. Most marketers do not have that luxury and have to make the most of the little time they are allowed.

So, let’s Enter the Year of the Dragon... keeping one eye on business and the other on the stars.

Editor’s note:

I have worked on a number of events including;
The International Balloon Fiesta, The Bristol Harbour Festival, The Bath & West Show and The Thornbury Carnival. Over the next six months I shall be writing a series of articles that will cover the 'Golden Rules of Event Organisation' in the run-up to the Olympics.

If you have an event to organise and can’t wait that long, then my contact details are at the bottom of every page of this website - I look forward to hearing from you. 

Speak to anyone and their 'Top Ten' list will almost certainly include some of the following:

* Get out of debt * Get fitter * Lose weight
* Quit smoking * Quit drinking
* Get organised * Learn something new * Help others
* Spend more time with friends / family

All very admirable goals, and all mostly forgotten by the end of the month. So, why is that? Individually some resolutions are harder to achieve than others, but perhaps it's the knowledge that if we don't succeed - New Year's Eve 2012 is not so very far away and we can always renew them - like vows. Or maybe it's just a quaint custom with no real meaning and they are just not that important to us.

But, what if you really want to keep your resolutions?

New Year's Resolutions are often intentions formulated mentally, usually for 'virtuous conduct' and are rarely widely shared. So, one way to ensure you stay on track is to share your resolutions with everyone whose opinion you value. That way you bring more pressure on yourself to hit your goals - and really, that must be a good thing.

Many resolutions are self-supporting; if you really want to be fitter, then you probably will eat better, reduce your cigarette and alcohol intake, losing weight in the process.

If you want to get out of debt; then quitting drinking and smoking will reduce your outgoings and make you feel healthier. 

Learning something new may help you become more organised. Are you using the technology that can get you into 'the cloud' and increase your efficiency/productivity? Google Apps can help you share documents with your team. Dropbox allows you to store and access files from anywhere. Skype meetings are a great time-saver and the list goes on...

Getting organised means you can free up time which you can then spend with friends and family. 

So, my New Year's Resolution rules are;
Share with people you won't let down and,
Find the supporting links between resolutions and work them to your advantage.

This is the final roundup of Radio Advertising rules for 2011. With all the rules (and no explanations) in one blog. The New Year will bring new themes and a few 'resolutions' so check back in tomorrow.

Rule 1. Entertain your audience

Rule 2. Promote one idea at a time

Rule 3. Tell them a story

Rule 4. Be different, but be consistent

Rule 5. Create a lasting image in the listeners mind

Rule 6. Don't under-estimate the power of a good story

Rule 7. Create time and value for the client

OK, the explanations are below in previous blogs. And, in the tradition of those that have gone before - the musical link ties in with the theme...please put your hands together for Jake and Elwood.

If you want to get to a website, it’s faster to enter the business’s name followed by “.com” than to Google it. Despite this, radio scripts are written every day with “www” dropped in before the business’s name. Now’s the time to stop doing that.

Time to “Ditch those w’s” 

It’s probably fair to say that most people who regularly use the web are using up-to-date browsers. Black-box technology will insert the “www” for you if it’s necessary to get to the site just like it resolves the required “http colon slash slash”. If it’s not necessary, why include it?

What are the benefits of ditching the w’s?

• Saying “www” is awkward for the voice talent
• Without the “www” the advertiser’s URL is more prominent
• It takes a full second to say “www dot”

Remember, the listener’s browser will resolve it, so help your voice talent, get your advertisers name out front, and save yourself some script time by dropping the “www.”

So, the seventh rule is Create time and value for the client.

Editor’s note:

I recently helped set up the Bradley Stoke Community Radio Association in North Bristol. This article is the seventh in a series which I hope will help businesses to unlock the potential of radio advertising. This series has gone through (some of) the ‘Golden Rules of Radio Advertising’ in the run-up to the BSCRA “live” broadcast which is online at BradleyStokeRadio.org.uk and “on-air” on 87.7fm until the 17th December 2011. Why not listen in and see which adverts you think follow the rules?