The key ingredient to a succesful Volkssport festival is an effictive publicity
campaign. Your campaign need not be elaborate; a little bit of well
thought out ideas are the real means to success.
The publicity planning was the critial factor in the success of the first
few volksmarches in Hermann. This community with a population of less than
3,000 and 90 miles from a major city turned out 600 participants at their
first event in 1979 and then 1,200 walkers in 1980. the publicity campaign
was simple, but effective. An outline of the key points used are provided
to assist others in putting together their campaign.
STEP
ONE
IDENTIFY YOUR
AUDIENCE: Establish those persons, groups, or organizations
you feel will benefif from your volksport activity. Make a list of the
audience you want to inform about your event. Use the telephone book, check
a list of organizations in your community through the Chamber of Commerce.
stop by theschools and sporting goods stores, all provide insight to the
availablity of your audience. Be sure to consider: weight conscious groups,
also civic and faternal clubs. The list can be almost endless so spend
some time atthe local library to research the availablity of the audience
you want to target. This planning begins 6-9 months prior to your event.
STEP
TWO
BE INFORMED:
Prepare
to answer questions about your event and Volkssports in general. Knowledge
of the background and goals of the American Volkssport Association is extreamely
helpful. Know exactly when and where your eventis to be held, how much
it will cost (remember people can participate FREE), where the money goes
and what special feature makes Volkssporting exciting. The fact that the
Volkssport program has achievment recognition is exciting to some and the
ability ot the "family" to participate together is exciting to others.
STEP
THREE
GET OTHERS
INVOLVED: Consider co-sponsoring an event with another organization
such as the Jaycees, a group of enterprising young men and ladies eager
to help the community and develop leadership prefects. You may wish to
identify a portion of the event proceeds to a charitable organization like
Cerebral Palsy, Special Olympics, Heart Association, etc. Contributions
for charatible organizations should be considered after sucessussful events
so new organizations have an experiance factor of how large a contributation
could be made. A co-sponsor could provide publicity through their local
regional and state organizations. Make contacts 3-6 months
in advance.
STEP
FOUR
PREPARE FLYERS:
Use
a single sheet of paper and show a drawing or sketch of your award (Some
are provided free from an awards supplier). Insure the important information:
when, where, participation charges (including that the event is free) and
a disclaimer clause. This item can be mailed to interested persons,
provided to other volkssport organizations and sent to other groups you
have identified as your audience. You can keep costs down and include a
lot of information by doing your flyer on computer using a scanner or cut
and paste art work and maps from a copy machine. Always ask for quotations
on printing your flyer from printers or copy shops, you may be suprised
on the results. Prepare your pre-registration flyer at least 6 months
prior to your event. (From this it is clear that your award should have
been contracted for a month or so earlier so as to have the sketch for
this flyer).
STEP
FIVE
PUT UP POSTERS:
Keep
your design simple (usually a picture of the event award) and provide the
important information about the event, where, when and how much. Put them
where your target audience will notice them, "Don't forget the Bank".
The posters should be attention getters use colored construction paper
and paste the cover of your walk flyer on it. Posters should be posted
at least 1 month in advance of your event.
STEP
SIX
NOTIFY THE
LEADERSHIP OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS: Invite them to participate
as a group and ask them to announce your event at their meetings. This
is extreamely effective, if the word gets out one or two months prior to
your event. Tell them of the awards to be given to the largest pre-registered
groups and the other catagories. (These awards are optional)
STEP
SEVEN
CONTACT LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS AND INTERNET USERS:
The "Big City" newspapers sometimes tend to
lose the news about your local event. Make sure your information
is available to the local neighborhood papers or sporting organizations
bulletins.
RULE OF THUMB: Prepare a News Release about
your event. Keep it to one double spaced page and rarely exceed two (2)
pages, include a point of contact with a telephone number. If publishers
are interested in more information, they can and often will contact you.
Send
your release out at leaset two (2) weeks prior to your event. Other news
releases such as the selection of the event date, awards, trail etc. will
keep your event before the public. Keep these releases short, newspapers
always seem to have room for small articles of local interest.
STEP
EIGHT
CONTACT LOCAL
RADIO STATIONS: Many stations provide public service time to
announce your event. Normally it takes a postcard with the usual information
(When, Where, How Much and a brief description of the event), address it
to "Community Service Newsroom". The best radio stations to contact are
the smaller ones with in a 50 mile radius. Keep your message short, 5-6
lines double spaced, and include a point of contact and telephone number.Don't
be too suprised if some of the stations , because of your unusal event,
call for an "ON AIR" interview. Use that opportunity to explain in more
detail the volkssport program. These public service announcements should
be sent to the stations at least two (2) weeks ahead of your event.
STEP
NINE
TELEVISION
COVERAGE: Local TV stations with a talk show highlighting
the activities within the community area should be actively pursued. Use
your standard news release and include color photographs of walk
medallions or patches including the one for your event. It is very impressive
to have a photograph or actual collection of volksmarching awards. After
sending this information at least three (3) weeks prior to your event,
allows time for a follow-up action by telephone to the shows producer.
STEP
TEN
DON'T FORGET
THE "NEWS VALUE" OF YOUR EVENT:
Thanks to your efforts your event attendance
soared and was a super success. Your job isn't over! Prepare a news release
giving thedetails of how you met your goal and whatbwas achieved by the
event (number of participants, walker experiances). Provide photo's of
the important and interesting people in attendance. Thank the individuals
and organizations who assisted in making the event successful.
When you establish your publicity campaign,
review this chec list and only use those items you are able to accomplish.
Don't attempt to do more as you will dilute the effectiveness of your campaign.
If you only tell the individuals who attend
your event about the Volkssport program your sucesses will be very slow;
however, if you tell the people through the media about Volkssports, you
response will be greater and success will come quicker. Getting the word
out to the audience you feel will benefit the most from the achievement
nrecognition and the rewards of individual-family fellowship can only enhance
the sucess of your event.
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