How Events Can Create Opportunities for Clients
I recently attended a PRSA Phoenix panel on how you can score wins for your clients by taking advantage of big events in your area from concerts to football games. The panel featured an all-star lineup of comms pros and media that each discussed their unique experience planning, covering or utilizing big events to get their clients in the press and connect with audiences.
A highlight of the event was when Sue Breding, communications director for the city of Glendale, discussed her experience rebranding Glendale into “Swift City” when Taylor Swift kicked off her tour in Arizona. What started as a clever marketing idea eventually became national news in March with outlets from The Wall Street Journal to TMZ to The Rolling Stone covering the renaming of Glendale.
Breding credited much of her success on the “Swift City” win to niche marketing and the ability to capture the attention of Taylor Swift fans like herself in all facets of the announcement.
In her case, this meant going a different route with the press release by using Taylor Swift song titles in each sentence, making a customized street sign in a signature color and creating custom shirts for press conference attendees to commemorate the naming. These elements made the rebrand feel truly special and brought authentic fan love to the marketing process.
Another crucial part of maximizing big events is by creating relationships. By successfully partnering with the concert venue, State Farm Stadium, the Swift City project was able to have access to specialized marketing materials that the venue received from the Swift’s team in advance.
Rayme Lofgren, former vice president of marketing for the Super Bowl Host Committee, covered the economic impact of this year’s Super Bowl and shared how the reach of the event can welcome opportunities for a wide range of clients if you find the right angle.
Lofgren also emphasized that her goal in planning the Super Bowl was to impact the whole region and provide opportunities across Arizona rather than focusing exclusively on those closest to the stadium. An important takeaway for anyone planning universal events like this one.
Regardless of the size of an event, you can still find a way to bring your client into the conversation authentically. Contact us to find out how!
