Jump to content

You have 30 minutes...


Recommended Posts

Tier 1, Tier 2... who gives a crap! All I know is.. while you guys are arguing about this..I'm having my way with your wives!

Signed, Don

Ridiculous! Don has turned a new leaf -- can't you tell?

( Of course that leaf will rapidly turn when Megan actually gets a job and shuffles off to her career! )

Edited by corpsband
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ridiculous! Don has turned a new leaf -- can't you tell?

( Of course that leaf will rapidly turn when Megan actually gets a job and shuffles off to her career! )

Ah yes...how the worm has turned! No pun intended..

You've lost control of your thread, G!

Edited by Plan9
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dealership cares about the bottom line.

Not necessarily. I've been on both ends of these transactions (usually as the pitcher, rather than the pitched), and it always comes down to a question of what, exactly, this is.

Is this "marketing", or is this "community service"?

If it's marketing, whew, that's a tough row. Without a lot of marketing work to make sure that the prospective sponsor's association is going to be seen by many more pairs of eyes than there will be butts in the seats (for a five figure sponsorship, depending on the market, they should be counting on seeing at least 100-200,000 impressions, or more), there's no way this makes business sense. They could buy more ad space or radio time for cheaper than the sponsorship. HOWEVER, if the pitch is that this is a relatively low cost way to make a major impact on the community and associate their local brand with an exclusive product that enjoys international acclaim, then it becomes a little more interesting. Yes, the money is going to do the same thing, in the end, but the way the sponsorship is framed in the eye of the sponsor is different.

What can the sponsor expect from their support? Are there naming rights to the event? Will they get space near the gates to have some cars on display, if they want? (if Subaru or Volvo is sponsoring a ski event in Vail/Beaver Creek, they ALWAYS have cars there where people can see them). What prominent local figures will be in attendance at the event? Mayor? County Board President? What important people will be there who can see what a good guy the sponsor is? How does this PARTICULAR event tie into the brand identity of that car brand? Demos are helpful, to an extent, but you don't spend money preaching to the choir; how will this event help make an emotional connection between the dealership and the community at large, even people who aren't really in the market for upscale Toyotas?

FWIW, the best piece of advice anyone in the marketing world ever gave me was "consider yourself in the shoes of the customer, and ask yourself what sort of a approach would make YOU whip out the checkbook." Get what you know out of the picture, and look at it from the purely new standpoint of "why I want to buy/support this product? How would it make me feel?"

Edited by mobrien
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without researching every D&BC contest for the last 20 years, if worthwhile for the dealership, this would have already been done. Five figures seems awful high to me.

shhhhhhhhhh, it might resurface. the debate on how there are thousands of companies in this country ready to donate a hundred grand because they should....I smell DAniel Ray coming in soon.....PSTTTTTTTTT ,,,where r ya?..lol :blink:

KIDDING ASIDE GARFIELD.......AS in any pitch to a business, especially one who will most likely think youre having some bando , geeky , marching band show, starting with small tidbits on the activity BUT showing them whats in it for them would be the way to go. As a member of a few non profit boards, fundraising is a nightmare and the 1st question ( especially nowadays is ) " whats in it for me " and doing it for the kids isnt a good enough answer. Thats not just my advice but a study done by many professional fundraisers and philanthropists I have spoke with . Good Luck :smile:

OH, also printed material with their name on it ..like a program etc etc isnt always good either. It's been proven that handouts, programs, flyers..all end up on the ground most of the time...How many of us got one on our car and tossed it without even looking at it...I recently did a promo event with Ford and they didnt want to touch it unless they got to seriously talk to a person then do a test drive. WE DID THAT, and it was successful. What drum corps patron is going to go to a show and drive a car. HMMMMMMMMM maybe promote to your patrons ahead of time , make it an event in itself maybe....a pre show event....car, test drives, food , music....like a pre show event............ Again best of luck

Edited by GUARDLING
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Much good advice already.

Another possible idea....ask the dealer to make their donation in the form of a car, which you raffle off at the show. This puts an entirely different face on the transaction. Now, it is no longer a greedy company paying to have their name plastered annoyingly on everything....it is a donation, and something I can win that night. Now I want to look at this car. Now I am not annoyed to see/hear that dealer's name 79 times in one night. Now you are justified to announce the dealer's name in all your advance advertising and over the PA every two minutes at the show....as part of promoting the raffle. Great PR opportunity for the dealership.

Downside is that you have to work for your money by executing the raffle. Upside is you can make even more money by selling more raffle tickets.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have the Cadets do a full run through with the Lexuses replacing their props on the field, footage for their Christmas in July Sale Extravaganza or just have the corps spell out the dealers’ name – car dealers love stuff like that because its so classy

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently did a promo event with Ford and they didnt want to touch it unless they got to seriously talk to a person then do a test drive. WE DID THAT, and it was successful. What drum corps patron is going to go to a show and drive a car. HMMMMMMMMM maybe promote to your patrons ahead of time , make it an event in itself maybe....a pre show event....car, test drives, food , music....like a pre show event............ Again best of luck

maybe allow the spectators to test drive the off road capabilities of a lexus suv by running over a synth in the lot? i sense a mutually beneficial relationship

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly....I wouldn't go to a car dealer. I'd go to a local business, or maybe even a chain like restaurants, or local convenience stores. Something where you know they can get business from that night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...