Reaching New Heights... Relationships: Community, Sponsorships, and Stewardship Chapter XIII Integrating Marketing in the Leisure Industry

Value of Relationships Fundamental to effective marketing plans Provide the insight needed to address specific needs Help gain buy-in to delivering the quality that is expected and deserved Create long term communication between board members, employees, volunteers and consumers which result in achieving agency objectives

Partnership relationship is between at least two agencies that combine efforts or resources for some type of mutual benefit. Value of partnerships: Addition or expansion of resources Reduction of service duplication Increase in an organization’s visibility and credibility Enhancement of relationships Increase in networking opportunities Development of friendships among staff in different organizations PartnershipsPartnerships

Elements for Effective Partnerships Leadership support Target market Workforce Cultural fit Goals and mission On-going communication Formalization of partnership arrangements

Cross Promotion Partnership (Co-branding) Two or more agencies leverage their resources to ultimately attract and better serve target markets. Co-branding partnerships can be used to: Gain access to each others’ consumer base Provide more to existing consumers experiences and keep them loyal Expand the consumer base to reach those with additional offerings Use promotional/marketing dollars more efficiently and effectively.

Community Relations Community relations is developing partnerships with local “public service” (community, service and social) agencies to communicate with targeted markets. Gaining free coverage or exposure from any number of community sources where the agency is viewed as a positive contributor to the local area, industry and profession Example: Involvement and volunteerism in related professional and industry associations

Sample Community Relation Activities Community service columns Community service presentations Organization membership (and participation) Service on advisory boards Information booths at other events Attending and planning community events Attending and planning charitable events Volunteering/providing leadership for local, professional and industry agencies/associations Cause related support activities

Agencies invest marketing resources in cause-related issues and activities Benefits: Enhanced brand awareness Enhanced brand loyalty Consumer brand switching Cause Related Marketing

SponsorshipSponsorship Sponsorship is a cash or in-kind fee paid to an agency in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with the agency (McKnight, 2003). Agencies solicit sponsors or become sponsors to: Achieve broad agency objectives such as enhanced image Achieve specific target market objectives Leverage media and marketing communication exposure with target markets Align themselves with a partner to be perceived as one verses two separate agencies

Types of Sponsorships On-site sampling On-site signage Event partnership On-site usage partnership Brand awareness in promotional literature Agency privatization partnership

Value of Sponsorships Expanded marketing efforts when associated with a positively viewed brand Enhanced image and reputation with targeted markets Altered or enhanced public perception Build business trade relations and good will Greater agency awareness, revenue, market share and participation Improved employee morale and relations Agency differentiation from competitors Improved stakeholder support (Bennett, 2002; Clark, Cornwell & Pruitt; Verity, 2002)

Approaching Sponsorship Relationships Sponsorships are like any dating relationship (Bunting, 2004): Grab the sponsor’s attention Court the potential sponsor Ask the potential sponsor for a date Get to know the sponsor first Follow up after the date Commit Do what you say Long term relationship

Identifying Successful Sponsors 1.Identify a target list of potential sponsors 2.Learn everything about the potential sponsor 3.Understand how the sponsors and the agencies are similar 4.Identify potential mutually beneficial opportunities where each can have a win-win situation

StewardshipsStewardships Stewardship represents the agency’s specific decisions designed to protect and preserve long-term relationships with targeted markets and achieve marketing objectives. External Stewardship Internal Stewardship

Sample of Stewardship Related Activities External (Consumers) Loyalty programs Consumer gifts Consumer notes (e.g. thank you, etc.) Verbal compliments WOW – do something unexpected! Host a consumer appreciation event

Sample of Stewardship Related Activities Internal (Employees) Employee incentives tied to performance Employee gifts Employee notes (e.g. thank you, etc.) WOW – do something unexpected! Host an employee appreciation event Host annual employee get-togethers

Stewardship Examples Target market: Ask a community member to conduct a mystery shopping experience to better learn of what a particular market segment experiences Develop comment cards and make them available for visitors Call a patron after he/she has visited to see how they enjoyed his/her experience Mail random surveys community members to identify the quality of the department Do something special for people...WOW THEM

Stewardship Examples Employees: Provide employees incentives for good performance Send a thank you to an employee for providing great guest service Give an employee an extra day off for superior performance Mail employee birthday/work anniversary cards Conduct an exit evaluation for employees that are leaving your employment Empower staff to handle guest situations Provide staff the training necessary to be experts at their jobs Ensure employees are easily identifiable (nametags, uniforms, standards for appearance, etc.)