Sponsorships: Affiliation Sells

Partner. Sponsor. Supporter.

No matter the name, partnerships, sponsorships and supporting roles create bigger and better experiences because of the relationship.

Pulling heartstrings.
Loyal customers are a valuable asset. The absence of tangible differences among products or services is an inescapable consequence in today’s marketplace where emotional logic has become the single most important business driver. Without emotional ties, a product or service is just like every other product or service. Affinity or cause marketing events and partnerships mean effective marketing is not tied to ears and eyeballs, but to heartstrings. Through sporting events, entertainment, the arts and nonprofits, smart companies can build brand and customer loyalty by affiliating their company, or its products and services to issues, events and organizations that current and potential customers care about.

Bigger pie.
Sponsored events create media opportunities. Whether through media partners or publicity, event sponsors gain big visibility because events typically generate wide media exposure. For many businesses, the cost of purchasing the same amount of media exposure that a sponsorship may garner through advertising or public relations is not affordable. In a challenging economy, sponsor affiliations can be very a valuable part of the marketing mix, expecially for smaller companies.

Seeing is believing.
Sponsorships can create, change and definitely reinforce the image of a brand. While images and brands can be projected through advertising, paid media can lack authenticity. Sponsorships create direct visual exposure to key audiences and the associated media attention creates credibility. The seeing part is big just from the courtside, trackside and on-the-field event banners and graphics.

Driving traffic.
When companies use the assets of their sponsorships they have many opportunities to create traffic-building promotions to event attendees. Sponsors can typically showcase products at events. Attractions, restaurants or service business may offer discounts. Media outlets can distribute premium items. Take a closer look at the logos printed on t-shirts worn at the gym, grocery store and at school.

Customers speak.
They are willing to reward, or even worse, punish with their wallets. Just think of the recent backlash following the BP oil spill when consumers started a campaign to boycott local gas stations. The spill was not caused by service station and store franchisees, but the oil disaster affected owners all over the U.S. Consumers say “social responsibility” is the number one factor that influences their impression of a company – more than brand quality or business essentials.

Hook ‘em and book ‘em.
Sponsorship are a great hook for driving sales. For example, the sponsorship of a retail product can be used to boost shelf space and increases co-op advertising. Sponsorships can be tied to in-store displays, coupons may be printed on partner bags, and for businesses such as banks new clients come directly from the sponsored teams and venues. This next month watch for the fast food restaurant that will partner with Universal Studios for the added value of luring hungry patrons also seeking discounted Halloween Horror Night event passes.

For more information on sponsorships or if you need help creating the right sponsorship plan for your company, product or service contact me today at 407-341-9866.

Crisis Management: Deepwater Horizon Response Post 1

Post One

What I experienced, learned and accomplished deployed to the Deepwater Horizon Response.

Having just returned from working for Homeland Security in a support role to BP, the U.S. Coast Guard, state and federal partners on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, the experience even more indoctrinated my disdain for those who believe things at face value and then repeat the information without regard to fact. It certainly was a challenge for me at times because I wanted to shout to the world about the people behind the scenes working so hard to make a difference and the positive stories about the differences they were making.

Though I lived and breathed it, I watched in amazement at how the political, media and public conjectured. Was the information transparent? At first it wasn’t. Could the situation have been handled better? In the beginning, you bet. A person once told me that appearances are everything. I added to that wise council, “Yes, your point is well taken, but integrity and responsibility don’t appear as anything else.” From a public affairs standpoint, appearances, plus a lack of transparency is where the response to this disaster went wrong in the beginning. A few wrong decisions at the highest levels really affected the local residents and not enough factual information being distributed meant the media and the public were often left to speculate. And once a crisis issue starts out on the wrong track; it makes it easy for those on the outside to continue focusing on the flaws and the flawed.

Once entrenched in the response, I was humbled by the thousands of fellow Americans tirelessly working 12-14 hour days, seven days a week, and away from home for weeks on end. Working to restore the crisis in the Gulf, staff worked side-by-side representing more than 33 different logos...county, state, federal, military and BP.

The crisis was not created by one and each of us knew that alone, one could not solve it. It was not a political issue; it was a United States of America issue. The effort included so many amazing and talented individuals that I am proud to call friends and would serve with again any day. These people weren’t a big corporation; they were like you and me – professionals with passion, feelings, drive, experience and many were from the Gulf Coast region.

Responders surrounded me from all ranks and backgrounds. I can’t even begin to explain their dedication to responsibility, the highest regard to integrity and what a wealth of knowledge. From GIS to HAZMAT, writers to pilots, security to meterologists. On the flip side, I also ran into a couple of bad apples in the operation; yep, there were a few people with rotten attitudes and horrible management skills. Thanks mom for reminding me those types are in every organization, whether public or private, and though they are always a challenge and disappointment, patience, positivity and faith are the keys to working with them. On the up side, bad apples do eventually get discovered and the bad parts are discarded. Karma is sweet.

Though the tasks required long days and we were navigating a course without a proven critical path, it was truly a blessing to serve our country during the oil spill response and to work with the more than 1,200 BP employees, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, state and federal personnel in the Mobile Incident Command Post.

What I experienced in this response was proof that no matter the task at hand, Americans (and a few British folk) from all walks of life can come together to effectively manage a crisis when everyone lays down their ego to develop and work a plan…and to keep trudging along...even on days when we wanted to be wasted away in Margaretville and covered in a different kind of oil.

Crisis Management: Training And Drills

Plan. Prepare. Practice.

The fact that training and drills needs to happen is not a debate, but for governments, costs in an uncertain economy are an issue. As well, for many companies and government agencies, exercises are scripted plays of cut and past scenarios that are practiced over and over again.

Check out this April 2, 2010 article in The Washington Post, "National disaster exercises, called too costly and scripted, may be scaled back."

As a child, I learned to tuck and cover in tornado drills, how to stand in a door frame during an earthquake, and even way back then, we had a family plan of how to escape our two-story house and a specific location for our family to meet if we had a house fire. We practiced, and yes, we experienced them all for real, even a major house fire.

The measures our family put in place to plan, prepare and practice were small in comparison to larger state or national drills and training, but they saved us when it counted most! Whether a single family or a large agency, it is crucial to have drills and training. Scenarios should be as real as possible because they can save lives. Scenarios also should be goal oriented, measurable and practiced in a way that promotes communication, coordination and collaboration.

Having been involved in local, state and federal drills, some were for fluff, to receive a pat on the back for a “job well done” and only because they were mandatory. In one drill, I observed face-to-face communication and decision makers not being able to agree on next steps. I have been involved in training scenarios where if the situation were real, citizens may have been severely affected because people could not make decisions or made bad decisions.

During one particular training drill, upper management was not pleased with unsolicited feedback from those of us responsible for the ESF#15 function (comprised of county-wide communication folks) as we stood together (four of us at the desk during the exercise) to explain the potential ramifications of their directions and decisions. Fortunately, it was only a drill. After that particular drill, management decided to involve ESF#15 more closely in strategic planning, execution of drill exercises and asked for help in reviewing the entire operation for ways to tighten up. None of us should be afraid to make mistakes, and from our mistakes, learn from them the first time. After all, moms and coaches always say, “Practice makes perfect.”

Speaking as a communications professional, whether in public relations or public affairs, looking at all angles of a situation is ingrained in our thought process. As well, we are used to accountability when planning through objectives, strategy, goals, tactics and measurement. I believe it is our responsibility to encourage and work with management or government leaders to explain the rationale for implementing the same processes employed every day doing business should be used for crisis training and management. Most business and government people understand SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Those four things can be used to measure performance in training exercises or drills. We can only find the error of our ways, discover weaknesses and adjust when necessary if training exercises and drills are executed with thought, built-in realism and include a mechanism to capture and measure performance. If we don’t insist upon it, then as communication professionals, we are the ones left to clean up the mess!

Stepping back to be sure processes and procedures are in place is sometimes necessary to ensure effective crisis planning, preparedness or practice is in place for a family as well as at the federal government level. No matter the actual hard cost or methods used to practice and train (live or simulated), successfully having implemented those three steps are priceless in a real disaster because people’s lives are at stake.

Does your company or organization have a current crisis plan in place? Do you know if your crisis plan is workable? Have you practiced your plan? Confused about crisis planning and management? Contact me to learn more.

News Release Images Impact

From the approach at your front door to the first thing a reporter sees when opening a news release, images count!

Continuing the post, Spruced Up Releases Spring Media To Action, PRWeb has research to back up the fact that images have impact. They took a closer look at how multimedia impacts news consumption by studying the habits of their news consumers. The research combined quantitative analysis of usage patterns drawn from Web statistics with a survey and sent out to a segment of their email opt-in subscribers.

Here are top-line takeaways from that research:

1. People spend more time on releases that contain multimedia – Images really do have an impact on how much time people spend consuming news releases.

• Releases with no images had an average time-on-page of 2:18; and 
• Releases that contained images had an average time-on-page of 2:47.

Since journalists receive hundreds of releases each day, every second of every eyeball spent on a page can be a huge advantage to getting a story noticed and picked up in the news.

2. Bloggers and journalists actually use multimedia – Not only does multimedia positively enhance the experience of news releases, evidenced by indicators such as increased time-on-page, but news producers (journalists and bloggers) actually use multimedia they find on news releases to help construct their ensuing stories.

• 48% of journalists and bloggers who subscribed to receive PRWeb news releases used an image or video in a news story or blog post.

3. Bloggers and journalists favor some forms of media over others – When it comes to various types of multimedia, content producers clearly favor images.

• 88% of producers agree or strongly agree that images enhance their experience of a news release;
• Half agree or strongly agree that video enhances their experience of a news release; and
• Only 28% agreed that audio enhances a news release.

Spruced Up Releases Spring Media To Action

About two years ago, I began adding custom graphic headers and including photos and logos in Satellite Media Advisories. Several producers offered unsolicited feedback about how the image/graphic grabbed their attention when they were booking the SMT.

A picture is worth a thousand words." So it made sense I should use images to support the words in news releases as well. Below is a recent news release as an example. With media kits, high-res photos are included on a disc or thumbdrive.

Put A Spring In Your “Door”Step with a Personalized Doormat

-A custom doormat is this year's fabulous front door accessory!

ORLANDO, Fla. (April 20, 2010) – A beautifully customized doormat from The Personalized Doormats Company is the perfect way to welcome warm weather while also putting a spring in your “door”step. Keeping more than 50 percent of the dirt outside, doormats are functional, but a personalized doormat is a customized design accessory that is sure to perk up any front door.

"When it comes to a house, what’s out front actually can say a lot about what is on the inside,” said Interior Designer and TV Host Josh Johnson. “For example, how your front door area appears when approaching up close is similar to a home's curb appeal at street level. Does it feel warm, inviting and welcoming? Or does it give off an impression that is drab, unappealing and even a bit shabby? An entryway, whether large or small, sets the tone for your home’s interior and also portrays the personality of the individual or family living there.

At first thought, a doormat might not seem that exciting. But these doormats will fashionably perk up any porch, patio and the grandest of porticos with panache while also fulfilling the ultimate function of keeping the floors clean. The Personalized Doormats Company offers doormats that are stylish, affordably priced and selections in a variety of materials, sizes and colors. By offering personalization, what was once a simple mat at a door, changes the whole meaning of ‘doormat’. Doormats are an integral part of a home’s décor and speak volumes about the owner or renter as well.

“An online company, they have something for every style and budget. Selections range from classic to chic and from simple to just plain stunning. Materials include eco-friendly recycled plastic to beautifully hand-woven coconut fiber and I really love the sparkle of the cast aluminum. A doormat is something every home needs and The Personalized Doormats Company has certainly stepped up the doormat to make it a fabulous front door accessory,” said Johnson.

In addition to a variety of materials, the mats come in sizes and shapes to fit single and double doorways, both narrow and wide. Doormats are made of different materials and depending on the location, some styles are better suited for covered entryways, others are excellent when exposed to harsh weather such water or direct sun and select doormats are very reliable under heavy or muddy foot traffic.

Pura Vida (Live the Good Life)! Stop 50 percent of the dirt from coming in your front door with the stepped-up style of a personalized doormat. Order a mat from www.PersonalizedDoormats.com for a sunny forecast this spring on your stoop, steps, covered porch or drive-up portico.

For more information or to order a doormat from The Personalized Doormats Company, call them toll free at 1-800-899-0620 from 9 a.m. –6 p.m. EST, email CustomerService@PersonalizedDoormats.com or shop online anytime at www.PersonalizedDoormats.com.

The Personalized Doormats Company, www.PersonalizedCoormats.com, is an online retail store based in Longwood, Fla. Founded in 2002 as a small online company, Jill and Alan Mecca purchased the company in 2008. Now offering upwards of 15 different product lines, their personalized doormats are shipped to customers throughout the United States and Canada. The Personalized Doormats Company offers more top-quality personalized doormat styles for homes and businesses than any other U.S. retailer.

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Contact: For more information, to set up an interview or to request high resolution photos, contact Ms. Monte Martin, WOW! Marketing, Public Relations & Events at 407-341-9866 or by email at MMonte@hotmail.com.

Media Interview: A Dark Secret Lurks At Disney

At Walt Disney World, every day is happy...

...Or so you think!

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, several reporters will get the chance to interview Disney Author Ridley Pearson about Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow. Set in Disney’s famous theme parks, this third book in his series of thrillers transports readers into a Disney World never seen by the average guest - after closing time and the last employee leaves - a world where evil characters rule the parks after dark.

BEHIND THE SCENES
New York Times Bestselling Author Ridley Pearson offers a glimpse into the world of the Kingdom Keepers and evil Overtakers such as Maleficent, the dark fairy from Sleeping Beauty who gives off a chill wherever she goes, shape shifts at will and has the ability to teleport herself and send bolts of lightning at enemies. Filled with action and brimming with the same meticulous detail as Kingdom Keepers: Disney after Dark and Disney at Dawn, Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow (Disney-Hyperion Books) is the third book in Pearson’s thriller series for young readers.

SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS NOW!
Reporters or bloggers wishing to set up an interview time should contact Ms. Monte Martin at 407-341-9866 or mmonte@hotmail.com.

THE BOOK

When five teenagers audition for jobs at Walt Disney World, they are hired as park guides. Using new technology, holographic projections of the teenagers lead guests through Disney's parks. The teens soon discover their job as a Disney Host Interactive (DHI), also known as a Daylight Holographic Image (DHI), isn’t exactly what it seems. Disney Imagineers (imagination + engineering) had no idea the technology might backfire. But backfire it did: some nights when the kids go to sleep, they wake up in one of the Disney parks as a hologram. The Kingdom Keepers discover their Imagineer friend has gone missing. Then the stakes grow higher when what starts out as a puzzle puts them on a quest for a sword, and the parks are in danger of being destroyed by a renegade group of Disney characters. They find themselves in a fight for their lives in order to save the parks - and the world.

THE GAME

In a groundbreaking and interactive Transmedia campaign, Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow includes bonus pages of clues as well as augmented 3D reality on the last page of the book. The online game, http://www.thekingdomkeepers.com/, enhances the reading experience. The book helps gamers unlock the game's interactive map and clues to online help Kingdom Keepers defeat Disney’s evil characters. Players must work together to defeat the villains who have escaped the parks and are now wreaking havoc on the Internet.

ABOUT PEARSON

• Best-selling adult crime novelist with more than 25 titles translated into 22 languages in 70 countries;
• Friend and co-writer of books with Dave Barry, humorist, columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner for – Peter and the Starcatchers series;
• Guitar player and founding member of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of best-selling authors including Dave Barry, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Scott Turow and Mitch Albom; and
• Calls St. Louis home with wife, Marcelle, and their daughters Paige and Storie. (That's right, a page and a story.)

MORE

For more about Pearson and Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow check out www.RidleyPearson.com or www.ridleypearson.com/blog_kids.html.

Social Media: Twittering About Twitter?

Termed, micro blogging, Twitter is a great resource for expressing a personal brand, thought leadership and corporate brand.

Nielsen recently released staggering statistics about Twitter:

• It is the fastest growing community site increasing 1382% in visits in February 2009 versus February 2008;
• The majority of the user base (42%) is between the ages of 35-49;

Here are helpful tips for tweeters:

• Check out and consider using a hash tag when appropriate as it is a way for people to search for tweets that have a common topic. #(insert topic)
• Change your bio often to reflect a description of a project, not just about you or the reason for your twitter page;
• Include a photo or logo to connect you or your brand to your tweeple for page personalization;
• Monitor your followers. Just because you have lots of them doesn't mean they are desirable followers. Check a few followers and see who they are and what they do ; - ) Let me know what you learn! (you can change your settings to accept or reject new followers); and
• Share the "love"birdies. Retweet! Copy and paste the original tweet, then put RT @ (insert originator’s username) at the beginning of the tweet and share the best links, tweets and gems with your followers. 

Still twittering about Twitter? Not sure how to use it for your business? Contact me today to turn up your Tweet volume and tune into Twitter.

Planning: Spiffing Up For Spring

Are your sales and marketing plans as bright, fresh and appealing as these Daffodils? Or more like a dried up bouquet of flowers that you haven't been able to throw out because they remind you of...something you can't seem to remember?

Or do you even have a plan?

My new online retail client Personalized Doormats, orginally contacted me to write two news releases per month as well as web and email blast content.

During our first meeting, I asked them how they currently integrated public relations (news releases, social media and media coverage) with other sales and marketing functions such as trade shows, email blasts, social media, promotions, special events, community relations, AdWords, etc. Their answer, "We don't. But we probably should. Can you help us with that?"

With their budget and goals in mind, I suggested they hire me to help them develop a sales and marketing plan the first month instead of writing news releases. So, we "worked together" the first month where I got their input and feedback. We had two, four-hour meetings; one, two-hour conference call; and four, one-hour weekly calls where I took them through a series of questions about their business, (past, present and future), competion, sales goals, personal business goals, products, customer service, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and more.

The end result, allowed me to take the information gathered to develop a six month sales and marketing plan, including a month-to-month timeline with activities and tactics. As well:

• They'd never thought about joining two key professional associations.
• Now, they are new members and have picked up new business from their memberships. 
• They have a blog, but rarely posted anything to it. 
• From new customer comments, product photos, special offers, tips, videos and news releases will soon begin being posted and in the next six months, as they build their business, they plan to hire me to "ghost write" blog postings on a regular basis.
• Their twitter and Facebook account was set up, but they had no idea how to use social media. As well, the sites were not set up or being monitored correctly for their type of business model. 
• Last week, we had a three-hour social media training session where I taught them how to brand their pages and how to use the various sites - twitter, Linkedin, Diggit, Flickr, YouTube and Facebook - the differences in the sites; kinds of communication messages to post (not overly sales-y, not hard news, but with the intent of it being interactive, educational and informative), how to integrate the various social media sites, fun tips and tools to manage them and how to post, paste, link and tweet from from a technical standpoint.

I am now writing news releases and also formulating a new sales program to reach a market segment they'd never thought about. Not only will it build my client's sales, but this program will allow this new BtoB market donate to their charity of choice while selling my client's product to their customers.

So plan your plan. Write your plan. And work your plan. With a plan, you will see where you are today, where you are going and next year, look back over a successful year and see what made the difference. Contact me today to spiff up your sales and marketing plan this Spring! And...while you are at it... Order a new doormat today and "Put a Spring In Your 'Door'step!"

SMT: An email teaser awaits

An evil plot is about to be unleashed upon Walt Disney World. The stakes grow higher every day, so stay posted. More clues to come.

What is this? It is a TEASER a.k.a. HOLD THE DATE

It is meant to:

• Entice the reader of the email;
• Arouse their interest;
• Peak some curiosity about what's next;
• Anticipate being pitched a story;
• Know something is happening on April 7: and
• To make them want to be a part before having all the details.

This teaser was just emailed to television media contacts and outlets in the top 20 markets. It is being sent in advance of emailing the Satellite Media Alert and then verbally pitching a Satellite Media Tour (SMT) with Author Ridley Pearson. The SMT will be on April 7.

There is more to come...And if you want a great teaser for your next campaign, contact me at mmonte@hotmail.com or 407-341-9866.

Marketing: Affinity Is A Kinship Connection

New Family Members Can Mean A New Affinity

The growth and success of online retail stores is a recent phenomenon. Shoppers have begun to trust online purchases and brick and mortar companies are selling the same offerings online sold in stores. Today shoppers can browse the web easier than walking through a shopping mall. With affinity programs, people can shop at stores such as Macy's, Target, and even Expedia while contributing to a nonprofit without spending any more money than shopping on that same company's regular .com site.

About 10 years ago, a marketing phenomenon errupted known as affinity marketing. I learned about it firsthand when I was hired by a faith-based credit card company to write news releases and copy for their new Web site. A percentage of each purchase made by credit card holders went to a school, charity or mission each month that had been selected by the card holder.

A client recently asked me to share a little more about affinity marketing. She wanted to know more about how affinity marketing could be a win for their company, nonprofits and online shoppers.

Affinity Marketing...

• Promotes a brand’s products or services to a niche audience;
• Leverages other companies and individuals to promote or build awareness;
• Partners a company, buyers and an organization with a common “affinity”;
• Is as simple as an endorsement from one firm for another firm’s products or services in exchange for compensation or value;
• Means purchases result in revenue for a company and a cause;
• Means companies are cheerful givers to the community; and
• Everyone wins!

The Challenges...

• Finding the right audience;
• Thoroughly exploring affinity group unique dynamics;
• Time to develop, test, monitor, and measure messages, offers and pricing;
• Impressing buyers to shift purchasing behavior;
• Working with the benefactor to spread the word through their communication channels; and
• Database tracking of purchases through different partners for causes.

The Benefits...

• Target audiences have a stronger inclination to purchase;
• Buyers are interested in receiving benefits;
• Results are measureable;
• Messages can continually be massaged;
• Partners get paid through small percentages;
• Feedback and information flows in from participants and buyers;
• Buyers feel good about purchases that make a difference;
• Can be a low cost way to improve customer retention; and
• Customers may receive perk discounts or offers to use for another purchase. 

The Opportunities...

• Naming the program to strengthen the brand;
• Focusing on unique ideas and concepts that may not fit mass marketing;
• In a slow economy, consumers spend more easily when a purchase helps something they care about;
• Beneficiaries receive revenue without asking for donations or hosting fundraisers;
• Sales commissions are “pay as you go” rather than upfront advertising or salaries; and
• Creating interest by giving back to the community.

Examples of programs...

• Credit card companies offer custom credit cards and a percentage of each purchase is donated to a particular organization. The organization and the credit card company may promote the credit card opportunity through advertising, Web sites, brochures, signage and direct mail.
• A grocery store chain donates a percentage of purchases to a registered charity. Customers registered with the store present an identification card or phone number at the time of their purchase and a contribution is made to the charity. The grocery store may promote the donation opportunity through store signage, news releases and advertising. The charity could spread the word at meetings, through news releases, newsletters, flyers and online.
• A restaurant holds a promotion and portion of an evening's proceeds goes to a supporter. The customer knows to identify themselves with the supporter when ordering. The supporter promotes the restaurant to their members in newsletters, meetings, flyers, through public relations and on their Web site.
• A service company offers a discount and cash donation to an association when someone in the association uses their service. In return, the association promotes the service to their members though various marketing channels such as newsletters, direct mail, and on their Web site.
• A retailer offers to donate a percent of online purchases to the benefactor of a fundraising event (bike race, run, walk fundraiser). The participants hear the offer when registering, receive a coupon or flyer in their goody bag and see the offer on event signage.

Steps to set up an affinity marketing program...
1. Establish rules of engagement;
2. Determine the mutual win for everyone involved;
3. Determine the management process and proceedure;
4. Establish non-compete agreements;
5. Ensure all partners are on the team;
6. Brand the program;
7. Spread the word; and
8. Watch it work!

Done right, affinity marketing can be a very powerful marketing tool to amplify a brand's awareness by attracting new customers, enhancing the company's community relations and boosting sales. Want to set up a success affinity marketing plan? I'll help you build sales through kinship connections, so call me at 407-341-9866 or send me an email at mmonte@hotmail.com.

Fundraising Event: Welcome To My Place

A Lakeside Fundraiser

One key to having a successful fundraising event is creating the right win-win for sponsors, donors and attendees. The win for each sponsor or donor is typically different, whether that is to receive program recognition, exposing their company to attendees through signage, receiving an event tickets, goody bag inclusion, or to use as a tax write off. It is important they get something in return for giving money or donating their time and resources to the cause as well as being sure all attendees, volunteers, hosts, donors, sponsors and media leave saying WOW! that was an awesome event.

In November, I was hired by a well-known businessman to create an event raising funds for a family, and friend of his, that had fallen on hard times. Since people love to attend events hosted at the homes of the "rich and famous" or at least someone with a local celebrity status, I convinced him and his wife (God bless her!) to host an evening house/backyard VIP party at their lake home. The casual Sunday evening event featured live musicians, food stations, open bar, silent auction, live auction and there was a "$30 donation" at the door. The evening event was combined with a golf event held earlier in the day and hosted by Bay Hill Country Club (the golf fee included an evening event ticket).

For part of the silent auction, a contracted company set up signed celebrity and collectible items where they received a small percentage of what was bought. In addition, for the silent and live auction, a volunteer team and I contacted companies to secure unique items such as: a gourmet dog basket; spa packages; a kitten and a puppy with vet exam and all shots; attraction tickets with behind-the-scene tours; hotel packages to New York (including charter flight), Tampa, Tahoe, Las Vegas and Hawaii; golf rounds with dinner; bathroom vanity; exterior home lighting; packaged restaurant gift certificates; custom jewelry; candle/spa baskets; health packages; a gently used ski boat; Diva Shopping Tour; car wash/waxes; and more items that people want for themselves.

Since there really wasn't a budget, so to speak, vendors, friends and family volunteered and/or donated their services including: security (Eddie and Dee Love); check-in; live auctioneer; bartenders (Lindsey Mackail); food stations (Winter Garden Pizza, The Crepe Cart Company, Timpano's, Gator's Dockside); valet parkers (John Chipps); dance floor, a huge glowing bar and high tops (Dennis Clegg); beer and wine (Florida Beer Company and Lakeridge Winery); fire pits; black Frisbees covered with magnolia leaves for floating candles in the pool (Sherry Martin); live auctioneer (Lori Chipps); borrowed coolers and trashcans (neighbors); money collection (John Kelly); photography (Keith Lambert); videography (Nathan Weatherford); and way more people helped out than I can list.

We could not get everything donated, so there were a few hard costs that were taken out of event profits, most of which were negotiable. Those included: my event management fee (deeply discounted because it was a cause I supported in a big way); rented glassware $150; ice delivery $150; professional musicians $500 (discounted being a Sunday night); 25 rented pieces of white leather furniture $1,800 (at cost because Cort Furniture Rental was a sponsor otherwise would have been $7,500); clear plastic plates, napkins, utensils $100; rented 10-4'x8' tables and linens $250; 20 tiki torches and oil $100 (the host bought and kept for future parties); fire pit wood $75; and 2 teenage boys were each paid $50 for 10 hours work to set up and take down.

The wife of the family, benefitting from the event, made a last minute decision to attend and unexpectedly asked to speak just before the live auction. As she took the microphone, her voice began to shake. We had never met before that night, but I knew their story and felt like she needed someone to stand beside her. So, I casually moved on the stage and put my right arm around her. My intention was to be there for moral support, but the longer she talked, she began to physically lean on me to hold her up. Her words brought tears to everyone as she humbly spoke amazing words of gratitude.

In theory, we tend to think people only donate to causes they champion, but a well-organized, themed event set in a unique location is a huge draw for attendees. Donors or sponsors just want to meet desired marketing or sales goals for future payback (in this case, their win was direct exposure to attendees). Combined with the golf outing, $60,000 was raised in one day for one family.

Invited guests came early, enjoyed food, sipped cocktails, danced, shopped and stayed way later than we ever expected on a Sunday night. It was hard work on my and the host's part, but we agreed it was very fulfilling. Everyone went home with a little less in their wallet, but with a bigger heart blessed by giving to a family in need.

If you want to be sure your event has WOW! contact me to discuss your needs at mmonte@hotmail.com or 407-341-9866.

(A special thanks to my mom, Sherry Martin, queen of Southern hospitality, an award-winning brownie chef, vendor coordinator and the best ever details activator as well as my friend and sidekick, Rhonda Murphy, the queen of fun, my timeline orchestrator and an awesome onsite coordinator. I could not have made this event successful without them!)

Twitter: Tweets Of Wisdom Part 1

Hello. Tweet tweet.

Twitter Communicates

Twitter has a very simplistic concept and this gives people a misconception that it doesn't take much time or dedication. But, like other tactics used to reach your customer base, including e-newsletters, brochures, news stories and for that matter even web content, it is a communication tool that has to have enough effort behind it, and using the right words for measurable success.

When I first set up my twitter account, I had no idea about hash tags, retweets, if I should manage who followed me…or not, how to get people to follow me, or many of the other functions surrounding twitter.
In addition to posting 140 words or less, there was the tracking, analyzing, evaluating and reporting if I wanted to monitor the ever so much sought return on investment. Especially, since I quickly learned that twitter could take up a lot of time.

Twitter Engages

Without a social media plan specifically tailored to achieve business goals, I can’t tell you how often or what to twitter. But, I can promise that effectively tweets can build your business if done right.

Three ads don’t make a successful advertising campaign. One news release without follow up pitches to media doesn’t usually result in many stories, and a tweet or two here or there doesn’t build your business.

Twitter can’t be done in five minutes a day with five “seemingly engaging” tweets. The key word here is engaging. This social media tool isn’t just about pretty pictures, bragging on how awesome your company or product is, and unless you are a celebrity, no one cares what you eat for lunch, when you get your nails done or your golf score. Twitter messages must be meaningful to your followers in a way that engages them to retweet your message, click on a link to learn more, become educated, or purchase your product or service.

Twitter Connects

Just like media relations, customer service and business networking, think of it like a connection. Done right, it is a tool that gives you direct communication and allows for interactive feedback with current and potential customers. As well, there are tools to measure metrics and return on investment to show how it works.

Social media can be a powerful and effective tool if you commit to it and use it correctly. Twitter is not for every business, but with a plan of tactics, twitter can play a part in achieving business goals. With a little time and patience, it is very effective and by using time-saving tools efficiently, “we” don’t have to be connected 24/7.

Twitter Works

If you want to know more about how to use twitter to build your business and tweet to your tweeple, contact me @ mmonte@hotmail.com or 407-341-9866!

Web SEO: Count your chicks, er...clicks before they hatch

Survey says...
...Put your SEO program into perspective!

A recent article by Rob Garner from iCrossing says his company just released a study on SERP (search engine results pages) click rates, indicating the sites surveyed received more than 95% of all their non-branded natural search traffic from page-one across all three major engines. The data included 8.9 million queries sampled over nine months, representing 10 enterprise-level Web sites in different diverse verticals.

According to the survey, when looking at all three search engines, SERP click rates were within a razor-thin margin from engine to engine. Google provided the highest average; with 95.8% coming from page one, compared to Yahoo at 95.2%, and Bing at an average of 95% (total average of 95.3%).

It also found that most travel sites had the highest percentage of non-branded page-one traffic at more than 97% and businesses that focused primarily on health and insurance had the lowest percentage of first-page traffic at 93%.

Out of the almost nine million searches surveyed, queries break out across three major engines as follows:

• More than 8.5 million non-branded natural clicks came from page one across all three engines
• 232,000 clicks came from page two
• 180,000 came from page three

When thinking of people searching for a site on the Internet, there is one key thing that puts your search engine optimization program into perspective: For first impressions and ultimate clicks, count your SEO chickens on the first page. 



 

Crisis Management: The Ambush Interview

A reporter sticks a microphone or camera in your face. What do you do?

Avoid these common mistakes:

1. Never ever say, "No comment."
2. Don't do the duck...i.e. acting like the reporter, camera or microphone are not there by continuing to go on about your business or leaving the area without saying a word.
3. Garbling an answer or blurting something out to satisfy the reporter quickly. In all likelyhood, even if you know your topic and the answers to their questions, you will look and/or sound ambushed and surprised.
4. Don't ask the reporter to call your office to schedule an appointment.
5. Don't say, "If you give me a list of your questions, I'll be happy to look at them and get back to you."

Keep in mind that the camera is rolling! Anything you say or anything you do can be put on TV! The only way a to engage with a reporter in this situation is the following:

1. The CEO should, stop, smile, look the reporter in the eyes (not at the camera).
2. Politely say, "Thanks for your interest in interviewing me. I would be more than happy to speak with you, but right now I am about to...step into a meeting, leave to pick up my child from school, file a report, meet with my staff, rehearse for an important presentation, etc. (something credible and real).
3. Now, let's set something up for (later this afternoon, this evening, or in the morning-the CEO inserts time of day to allow for prep time).
4. This way, we can sit down, and I can be sure to have plenty of time to answer all of your questions.
5. As well, I'll be happy to stop by your office/station if that is convenient or you may drop by my office."

Remember, a reporter is a person and they appreciate being directly spoken to and politeness counts! Never brush off a reporter! They have an assigned story to do and the CEO (good or bad) has a story to tell. How the ambush is handled can turn a story from bad to worse and bad to much better, maybe even decent.

As a spokesperson, you'd be surprised how many times they have asked me to stop by their station when I offered. Reporters are usually on a deadline and I have found that by offering to do the interview at their station, you are meeting them more than halfway when an interview is put off for a later time. Plus, sometimes it is in the company's best interest to not have reporters roaming around the office and an interview disrupting the workplace. By going to the station, the location is actually more neutral.

There is also something to the fact of the reporter/station playing host to the CEO vs. the other way around. As the host, the reporter may not be as agressive or "in-your-face" with questions...Note: May not...

So, the interview is set for later. Now what?

1. The CEO calls the communications team to advise them of the scheduled interview.
2. The PR person should call the reporter and ask, "If there are any specific questions or areas of interest for the interview because I may be able to provide backgrounders, bios, or fact sheets that will be helpful for the interview."
3. It is fine to email information to the reporter, especially if the background materials are technical or detailed in nature.
4. Staff gathers other appropriate information for the CEO including key messages, talking points, FAQs, backgrounders, fact sheets and answers to hard-hitting questions.
5. Then, if needed, the CEO has time to review the materials before the well-prepared and relaxed interview.

For more information about how to come across as a success on camera and nailing that interview, contact me to set up media training for your CEO, staff or key management.