Event marketing and its importance L 5 Ing. Jiří Šnajdar 2013

Event marketing and its importance. To build brand loyalty and other positive feelings toward a company many leaders utilize sponsorship and event Marketing. These programes make it possible to meet with customers, vendors and others in unique situations. People who attend sponsered activities or special events already have favorable feelings about the aktivity taking place. These positive attitudes are easily transferred to a company that has provided funding.

Sponsorship means that company pays money to sponser someone, some group, or something that is part of an aktivity. An company can sponsor a practically unending list of groups, individuals, activities, sports stadiums and events.

Forms of Sponsorships Sponsorships can be to Arts, Festivals, Fairs, Atractions, Tours, and Sports. Sports are representing more than 70% of all sponsorships. Sporting events are highly popular and atract large crowds. In addition to the audience attending the competition or game, many more watch on TV. Popular sportsman can be effective spokespersons for various products. If possible the organisation is the exclusive sponsor of the person or team, which makes it easy to remember than when there are multiple sponsors.

Some organizations have moved away from sports sponsorships toward more cultural events, as classical music, jazz bands, visual art exhibits by noted painters, dance troupes, and theater performances. Cultural sponsorships are not the best match for every firm. Cosequently, financial institutions leveraged by having name of company strongly associated with cultural aktivity. Also, sponsors usually receive choice of seats at performances that can give to key clients.

Rather than sports ort he arts some companies chose to sponsor a popular TV show. The newest format is sponsoring bloggers. The companies are eager to send products to test them and have if the audience likes them have positive comments on the specific Web site. For some bloggers, product sponsorships have became a lucrative business. So companies can generate a positive buzz.

In choosing a sponsorship, the marketing team matches the event´s audience profile with company´s target market. Marketing executives also consider how the individual participant or group image relates to the firm´s image. To maximaze the benefits of a sponsorship effort the company first defines the programe´s primary goals. To achive the maximum impact for the sponsorship, the massage will be combined with other advertising and promotional efforts.

Sponsorship Objectives It may be hard to measure the direct impact of sponsorship program. Sponsorship can be designed to accomplish a variety of objectives. Enhance a company´s image Increase a firm´s visibility Differentiate a company from its competitors Showcase specific goods and services Help a firm develop closer relationship with current and prospective customers Sell excess inventory

The best sponsorship programes include methods of assesment. The marketing team follows up to make sure that the goals were achieved. In each sponsorship programe, an attempt should be made to gather tangible evidence that the sponsorship was worthwhile.

Event marketing Event marketing is similar to sponsorship marketing. The major difference is that sponsorship marketing involves a person, group or team. Event marketing involves a specific event. Event marketing and lifestyle marketing are closely related. Sponsoring the right event. Can provide a company with brad-name recognition and help develop closer ties and contact with dealers and customers.

Determining objectives, Matching the event to publics, Promoting the event, Advertising at the event, Tracking results, International implications.

The principals that guide the development of sponsorship domestically apply equaly to any international involvements. To prepare an effective sponsorship programe in an international setting we employ a cultural assimilator to make sure that any language is being used correctly, that the sponsorship is legal, and that does not violate any local cultural norms.

As the world coninues to become smaller, with increasing interactions between countries, companies and individuals, the growth of multinational sponsorship should to continue. A strong presence at the event is one of the keys to succesfully linking organzation´s name with a programe.

Managing public relations, sponsorships, and event marketing programes requires company leaders to assess the goals and the outcomes of individual activities. Sponsorships and events programes enhance and build the company´s image and brand loyalty. Events and sponsorships should match with the firm´s products and brands.