[Mannes on Marketing] Ramping up for the Summer Event Season

It’s hard to believe that yet another school year is almost over (and in many parts of the country is over). Families are taking time off from their everyday routines to relax and recharge — moving into “vacation mode” and looking for opportunities to spend time with their families.

While your traditional methods of advertising still may prove to be an effective means to communicate with customers, there are many affordable and interactive tactics you can use to reach potential and existing customers when they are relaxed and often receptive to your message. Events are a great way to keep your message in front of customers — even when their routines change.

Additionally, being seen as a part of your community, giving back to your community and being out in your community is in large part how you will become even more successful.

Not only will you have the opportunity to gain new customers, your time and efforts will also pay off in reaching existing customers. Consider that marketing to current customers gets you a higher return on investment. A few stats to support this:

• According to Bain & Company, it costs between six and seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain the ones you already have.
• Repeat customers tend to spend more — as much as 67 percent more — according to the same study.
• Loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase, according to the White House on Consumer Affairs.
   

And marketing to existing customers isn’t just about their individual value — it’s also about the value of their networks. According to Forbes, word-of-mouth recommendations influence 80 percent of purchases, and people referred by customers are three to five times more likely to convert to customers.
 

Why Community Events

Where will you find your customers with their families — community events! If you have the opportunity to be in front of 100, 500 or 2,500 folks and their children in one location where you can talk with them, learn about them and conduct your own local demographic research, is that worth a few marketing dollars? You bet! Large or small, these events provide opportunities to engage potential customers personally and leave them with a very positive impression of your business. In the March PCT column we talked about “telling your story.” This is the perfect venue to tell your story and build that emotional connection that is so important with consumers.

In every community there are opportunities to participate in events such as local festivals, holiday celebrations, free outdoor concerts, movie nights and, of course, youth sports leagues.

And when I’m talking about “participating” that doesn’t mean just paying for a sponsorship. It actually means showing up for the events, shaking hands and getting to know your market — personally. Let these consumers know why you are the best at what you do!

The Activation Plan.

Selecting the right event is only the first step in building a successful community relations marketing program. A comprehensive activation plan is a must! Any plan should include a lead-generating opportunity. You may want to give away a specific service or premium item. Have folks fill out an entry form with all their information and you’ll have leads. Should you employ this tactic, be sure to follow up with these potential customers in a timely manner. If you have a social media presence, be sure to post that you will be at an event and ask your followers to stop by and see you.

Consider hosting an interactive game for children. While the kids are playing the game, the parents are standing there watching, so it’s a perfect opportunity to talk with them. If you have specific services that are timely to discuss, that’s the ideal opportunity to mention them. For instance, you may want to talk about the No. 1 pest in your market and how you can protect them from it.

If pets are attending the event, consider bringing treats and water for them. You can then talk with pet owners about ticks and fleas. There has been a resurgence of fleas due primarily to resistance to some flea and tick products. Also, be prepared to impart your health message: In certain parts of the country, ticks can spread Lyme disease and more.

Finally, stock up on inexpensive premium items to distribute at the event. Whatever it is, make sure you have your name, web address and phone number on it.

As we all know, pests never take a vacation. Floods, monsoons and even droughts in every region of the country have their unique challenges that bring about surges in pest populations. You may want to make sure you are always top of mind with potential customers should they encounter a problem. By being seen as part of the community, you have a greater opportunity to get the call when their pest problems arise.

The author is chief marketing and strategy officer for Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta, and can be contacted at cmannes@giemedia.com.