Posted by Keith Green on Wed, Sep 23, 2009
For the past 17 years, Synergy Events has created hundreds of tennis activation events surrounding the US Open, either on the grounds at Flushing Meadows or throughout Manhattan.
Executed on behalf of official US Open partners or for friends of the tennis industry, these events have showcased the game of tennis. Over the years, Synergy has shut down Times Square for a Federer-Nadal match, created tennis interactives for Nike for the opening of Arthur Ashe Stadium and executed dozens of celebrity and consumer events at Grand Central Terminal.
The 2009 US Open was no different, as brand leaders called on Synergy to execute their integrated, experiential tennis events.
As you know if you are a regular reader of Synergy101, the USTA retained Synergy Events to create and execute SmashZone, the premiere fan interactive in tennis. Thousands of fans of all ages enjoyed state-of-the-art tennis activities each day of the tournament at the US Open.
To promote the US Open, the tennis industry and its partners, Synergy also rolled out custom tennis courts for American Express, Fox News, Tennis Channel and Longines for their events at the tournament or in New York City.
Also, our president Peter Hurley serves on the International Tennis Hall of Fame Board and is the Auction Chair for the annual Legends Ball, billed as the Social Event of the US Open. Several Synergy staffers volunteered their time on September 11 to make the event a huge success, as more than $160,000 was raised for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Part of what we're sure was a rough assignment for Peter before and during the the star-studded event was hosting Miss USA Kristen Dalton, who was a special guest at the US Open and the Legends Ball.
At the tournament, Peter is enjoying a moment with his wife Paula (far right), Miss USA and Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA.
Posted by Keith Green on Tue, Aug 11, 2009
One of the more powerful aspects of experiential marketing is the ability to engage a consumer in a live branded experience. Creating an experience allows you to stimulate all of the senses of your target consumer. The more senses you engage in a meaningful way should translate to a strong emotional connection.
When planning you should examine how to leverage all 5 senses. Here are some things to consider for each:
Sight - at Synergy we break down a sight by creating a SBV plan. SBV stands for signage, branding and visuals. Too often brands focus just on signage. Consider the overall environment with a focus on color, lighting and decor. TIP: Have a plan for both the exterior and the interior of the experience.
Hearing - first focus on the background sounds. What type of sound creates the ambience for the experience? Next look at the need to project sound. Do you need to communicate any key messaging? Who is speaking and what types of microphones may be necessary? TIP: Don't skimp on a sound tech if they are necessary and always have a backup microphone with fresh batteries at the ready.
Touch - Feel is one of the strongest senses. Design an experience where your consumer gets to utilize the product or service. TIP: Have fun with it by creating a challenge or contest.
Taste - Sampling can be at the core of an experience. Getting the basics right such as the serving size, the temperature and the presentation of the sample is essential. It shouldn't be just about slapping product into hands. TIP: Communicate your key messages (keep it brief to 7-10 seconds) before handing out the sample.
Smell - The sense of smell is powerful and the only sense that is hardwired to the brain. It's probably the one sense that is most neglected in experiential marketing. TIP: Think of smell as you would a background sound. Can you introduce any scents that would help set the stage for the experience?
Grpahic credit: www.symrise.com.
Posted by Keith Green on Mon, Aug 03, 2009
I know some executives at Life Lock, the company that helps protect your identify. I need to contact them because writers, bloggers and marketers have contributed to stealing the identity of the original “Mobile Marketing.”
Certain headlines and websites trumpet the pros and cons of “Mobile Marketing”. Just this week, I saw Ad Age touting a Mobile Marketing Guide media kit. Of course, the supplement is all about mobile phone marketing.
Given that Synergy Events plans and executes mobile marketing tours, (along with PR stunts, product launches and sponsorship activation programs) these types of things grab my attention.
Since we can’t stop technology and can only hope to contain it, perhaps those of us in the event marketing industry should come up with a new moniker for our Mobile Marketing. After all, while the future of Mobile Phone Marketing may be bright, companies are still spending billions each year on the original Mobile Marketing concept: mobile tours and experiential programs. And that’s with a sluggish economy and high gas prices.
Any suggestions out there? Perhaps when referring to cell phone advertising it becomes Mobile Phone Marketing and Mobile Marketing Tours are just that… “Mobile Marketing Tours”.
Mobile Phone Marketing may have stolen the identify of the original “Mobile Marketing”, but this is one case where technology will not make something obsolete: the event marketing industry-and the need for brands to connect with consumers on a one-to-one basis via Mobile Marketing Tours and experiential events- has never been stronger.
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Posted by Keith Green on Fri, Jul 17, 2009
I attended an an online marketing summit and had the opportunity to hear Eric Anderson of White Horse Marketing present.
One of his topics was Brand Building and how the 2.0 world has changed the way brands do business:
Old School vs.2.0 World
1. Create vs. Listen
2. Promote vs. Enlist (engage fans of your brand and have them tell your story virally)
3. Defend vs. Converge
Listening-and taking advantage of the opportunity to react quickly to fans of your brand- is key these days. I love what Celestial Seasonings tea did when fanatics of its Fast Lane tea started an online petition to bring the tea back after it was discontinued.
To its credit, the brand listened to a fairly small, but vocal group of supporters. According to Anderson, Fast Lane tea now outsells all of the company's online tea sales by tenfold.
Posted by Keith Green on Wed, Jul 08, 2009
Brands, news outlets and celebrities are all finding ways to effectively utilize Twitter. It's the newest 2.0 way for people to receive breaking news and information on practically anything.
I wanted to learn from an expert about possibly incorporating Twitter into Synergy's business, so I attended a Twitter 101 course put on by the PRSA-NY chapter and taught by Sandra Fathi of Affect Strategies. The course was helpful and informative, especially as Synergy’s clients continue to explore ways to incorporate social media-and specifically Twitter- into their mobile marketing tours and PR-driven events.
There’s no denying Twitter’s popularity and that individual users, media outlets and even brands love the way the site allows them to immediately communicate with their “followers.”
So what about utilizing Twitter to promote events? It’s one of the latest event marketing trends and it can work. Synergy just completed a 19-city tour with USA Football to promote the Junior World Championships of American Football. The tour included Team USA brand ambassadors tweeting about their experience and promoting the tour via a dedicated website. The tournament concluded this past weekend with Team USA steamrolling Canada 41-3. Ticket sales for the tournament rose more than 600% after the start of the tour.
Another of one Synergy's tours, the got milk? milk mobile mustache tour is also starting to use Twitter #MilkMustache.