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(or Event Objectives)

I led a marketing workshop recently for Knoxville Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports other area nonprofits through education, partnership development, organizational assessment and other resources.

After the workshop I conducted a group exercise for Executive Directors of current KLF partners in the Center for Communities program.  The EDs gathered into groups of about 4 people and were given the following scenario and questions…

You are the executive director of a nonprofit organization that provides literacy services in Knoxville.  Your event committee chair is new to the organization but eager to help.  She has asked you to attend the first committee meeting to set things off on the right foot.

1. How do you determine the objectives for the annual event?  Collectively with your breakout team, identify the primary, secondary (and optional tertiary) objectives for this hypothetical event.  This is for discussion purposes only; there is no wrong answer.
2. Based on those event objectives, determine the target audiences (identify primary, secondary and optional tertiary) for this hypothetical event?
3. How would you go about crafting a message or messages to motivate the target audiences?  Together, with your breakout team, develop a core message/call to action for the event.
4. Are there any sensitivities, terminology or other circumstances that you need to be mindful of when crafting this message?
5. Now that you understand your event objectives, your audience and your message, provide a brief outline of the marketing elements/initiatives you would use to promote the event and the specific call to action for each audience.  (Think before, during and after the event.)

Although the workshop that came before this breakout session was described by one witness as “a firehose of information” (based on time limitations) that left attendees a little stunned, it was in the breakout session where the application really sunk in.  I am a firm believer that every nonprofit event should have a specific objective (if multiple objectives, they should be prioritized) and a specific target audience (likewise with prioritization).

When these talented Executive Directors stepped out of their own shoes and into a fictional pair (an organization with a different mission and target audience) they began to see how important it is to determine the objectives and target audiences of the event.  The resulting event plans were very impressive.  More importantly, these professionals learned something tangible. If the only sip they got from the fire hose was the need to determine an audience and objective for an event, my time with them was well spent.

When you consider your organization’s next event, the first step should be to determine the objective of the event (Is it fundraising?  Awareness?  Recruiting volunteers?).  While you can accomplish all of these objectives (if you’re really good!), prioritizing them will make decision-making and messaging much easier.  I serve on a pretty high-profile event committee in Knoxville. Recently we were presented with a fantastic idea that would have made for a very entertaining evening.  But when we stepped back to evaluate if this new event format would accomplish our objectives, the answer was an overwhelming NO.  It was a good idea, but it would not have given us the results we wanted or needed.  Because we had the objectives already determined, we were able to turn a subjective decision into an objective one (and I’m glad we did).  The clearer the target, the easier it is to hit it.

Once you determine the objective of the event, then think about how you are trying to reach to accomplish that objective.  Mentally surround the issue with every profile of person who is connected to it.  For literacy (a cause I selected because currently no KLF partners have that as their primary mission), they came up with educators, school administrators, county officials, retirees (grandparents), etc.  That was just the top layer; when encouraged to go deeper, these leaders added more and more to the invitation list for their fictional event.

Once the objectives and the target audience are identified, it’s all about the messaging.  If you know WHAT you are trying to communicate (the objective) and WHO you are trying to communicate it to, crafting a message that motivates and calls people to action is within reach. Now that is strategic planning!
Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof

I am saddened by the statistics I have heard recently about today’s teenagers…specifically about how the average cell phone bill of a teenager would reflect zero minutes of talk time. It’s all about texting. I heard a quote from a teenager recently who said, “Talking on the phone is too personal.” Wow. I remember talking for hours with girlfriends and boyfriends on the phone. Yes, it’s personal. That’s the point, isn’t it? Psychologists are quick to report the harmful long-term effects of such a mentality… that today’s teenagers will grow up to be adults who cannot communicate face-to-face, cannot carry on a conversation, cannot expound on a topic for longer than 140 characters.

Whether those fears are grounded or not, we have to understand and adapt to this generation’s communication style. Even if these kids aren’t your audience now, they will be someday. Since I shout from the rooftops about knowing your audience, I have assembled (albeit a tad sardonically) a list of 12 quick marketing tips for start-ups, all of which are under 140 characters. Feel free to text these to the ambitious teens in your life.

12 Quick Marketing Tips for Start-Ups

1. Lay a strong foundation. Define who you are (and aren’t), what you do (and don’t), who you serve (and don’t). Do an honest SWOT analysis.
2. Write a positioning statement that identifies your services, your audience, your unique selling point and the personality of your business.
3. Be consistent. Use your positioning statement as the basis for all of your marketing efforts to ensure consistency and bang for your buck.
4. Invest in a professional logo. If your logo looks professional, so will your business. Use it consistently, everywhere you can.
5. Invest in a web site. It’s the 1st place people go to see if you’re legit. You don’t need high tech, but it needs to look professional.
6. Know your target audience. What motivates them? Where do they get there information? How do they make decisions?
7. Listen to your clients. Don’t assume you have all the answers. You can build goodwill, establish trust and increase the opportunity.
8. Offer introductory rates. As an unknown, you can’t charge what an established firm can.
9. Thank your customers. They are taking a risk hiring a start-up. A hand-written note and some goodies from a local bakery show gratitude.
10. Underpromise and overdeliver with both time and money.
11. Help others grow their business. Connect people, refer and recommend others. What comes around goes around.
12. Identify a mentor. Welcome him or her to “get in your business,” provide honest counsel and encourage you when you doubt.

Carol Reeve, marketing strategist
Girl on the Roof

Yesterday I received a phone call from someone selling placement and banner ads on Google. After asking to speak to the person making the marketing decisions for Girl on the Roof, he launched into a breathless pitch about how he could provide me with a good deal on banner ads and Google placement for Knoxville roofers.

What was that? Did you say “Knoxville roofers”?

I started laughing hysterically, but he didn’t notice because he was talking so quickly, trying to convince me that I could grow my roofing business through Google. I began talking over him, through my laughter. I said, “My company is not a roofing business, and if you had done a quick Google search yourself, you would have discovered that immediately.” I literally had to say this twice because he had not stopped talking, even for a beat, to hear me.

Finally there was a slight pause, followed by a defensive toned, “But the name of the business is Girl on the Roof.”

I desperately wanted to respond with bitter sarcasm, but I sort of felt sorry for the guy. He had broken the first and very obvious rule of marketing: Know Your Audience. He had done no research at all before placing a call to me. Then he broke the second rule by not listening to what I was saying.

He stammered briefly then resumed the chatter, just as quickly but with less confidence. Finding no pause in which I could respond politely (though, admittedly, I was amused by the entire conversation), I finally just spoke over him. I am quite sure he did not hear my response, but I was not going to hang around long enough to wait for another pause. Still, for posterity, and since the phone call may have been recorded (“for training purposes”), I said the following before hanging up: “Dude, thanks for the laugh today, but I am not interested in working with you. Next time you should do your homework before making a call.”

And my thanks were sincere. I laughed about it the rest of the day.

Yours truly,
Girl on the Roof

I was speaking with a client a few weeks ago about the appropriate order for developing and implementing a marketing plan. To me this is common sense, but it was a bit of a revelation for the client. He runs a large organization and has countless areas of expertise; admittedly, he says, marketing is not one of them. So he asked me to write the steps down for him so he could reference them as we go through the process together.

1. Strategic Planning. Before you can figure out your messaging and the appropriate ways to get that messaging out to your audience, you need to determine what it is you should be focusing on: what works, what doesn’t, what’s profitable, what’s growing, who your competition is and how you are superior. These questions – and many more – are answered in a strategic planning session. Read the rest of this entry »

On my way home from a business trip to Cincinnati last week, I drove by my former home in northern Kentucky. While snaking my way back to I-75 on back roads, I came across this sign. What you may not be able to see here, since I snapped this photo on my phone while I was driving (yes, yes, I know), is that this company provides porta john rentals and septic services.

What impressed me about Got-A-Go’s message was that it provided value to the consumer (pardon the term) while also positioning the company as a solution to a… ur… problem. Genius!

Just goes to show that no matter what your business is, you can develop a message that is shout-worthy.

Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof

We are interrupting our regularly scheduled blog series to bring you this story.

In its holiday series this year, my church, Crossings (www.crossingsknoxville.com), encouraged us to “Give more. Spend less.” It wasn’t about getting the best deals on the “it” gift for the holidays. It was about giving presence instead of just presents. And it was about giving things that matter.

Through this series, I was introduced to Living Water International, which helps build wells in under-developed countries so the people there can have clean water (water-borne illnesses are a leading cause of death in these countries, so this relatively simple device saves thousands of lives). I was so impressed after researching the organization that I made some monetary gifts in honor of some of my family members for the holidays. (I try to do this every year, and I think it’s starting to mean something to some of them). After Christmas morning, I didn’t give much thought to it.
Read the rest of this entry »

I have always been a fan of Winnie the Pooh stories.  Milne was a genius at Capturing the Beauty of Friendship in its simplest, purest form.  My father used to read Pooh stories to me, and for our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, my husband gifted me the complete collection in one volume. My grandfather, Mac, was so taken with the stories during one visit to my house that I bought him the same volume, which I later read to him on his deathbed in January of 2008. He would squeeze my hand and chuckle from time to time, and after the last story he faded away.

I say this to explain that I am Intimately Familiar with the original tales of Winnie the Pooh and the characters that comprise them.  In fact, I could even be considered an expert.  Although I have seen the newer versions of Pooh and have peripherally watched with my daughter the Super Sleuths cartoon on Disney, I’m not sure who Darby is or what she did with Christopher Robin. Because I am a Classic Pooh lover.
Read the rest of this entry »

While not a specific resolution kind of gal at New Year’s, I do decide on a theme for the coming year.  It functions more like a mindset than a hit-or-miss goal.  For example, rather than pledging to lose x number of pounds, in 2009 I decided simply to live healthier.  That started in January with regular exercise and buying organic where possible. In 3Q09, I cut high fructose corn syrup from my diet. In 4Q09, my “living healthier” barometer led me to a decision that resulted in dramatic stress reduction.

I remember only a few themes from the last 15 years.  “Get organized in 2005” stuck with me, and I recall shopping for attic-bound clear plastic tubs on 1/1/05.

This year my theme doesn’t have the advantage of approximate rhyme, but I figure if I “publish” it, perhaps it will benefit from greater longevity.  My 2010 theme is (drum roll please)… “Lighten Up. Smile More. Speak positively.” I will need your help with this, so please hold me accountable.

What revolution do you need in your life?  What mindset will serve as your barometer for the coming year?

• Have a good message and stick to it.  Just because you are tired of your message doesn’t mean your audience is.  Consider how many messages you hear in a day and what it takes for one to stand out with you.  If you aren’t tired of your message, you may not be working hard enough to get it out there.

• Know your audience.  Who are they?  Where do they get their information?  How do they make decisions?  What do they do for fun?  What do they eat for breakfast?  You can’t compel an audience until you know their habits and what motivates them.

• Be strategic with your resources.  This applies to your human resources (let your team members work in the areas of their strength) and to your financial resources (spend the money as if it were yours). See rule #1, then proactively seize opportunities for free and low-cost exposure (social media marketing and PR), so you have more to spend when you need it.