Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Strawberries1451,

No children? Why on earth not?

Who's running this event?

Ebinezer Scrooge and Cruella de Vil?

Do the organizers and attendees of this shin dig not have kiddies of their own? Do you actually WANT TO raise money? Or do you merely want to go through the motions of attempting to bring in some cash?

By excluding the subject (children), you're missing out on a HUGE lever to skyrocket your gift giving AND drive sign ups when moms and dads can see FIRST HAND what a first-rate and outstanding job you do with their offspring.

And the PR value of all those babies and little bundles of chubby-cuteness is HUGE. Who can resist a cute baby? No one.

Everyone coos over the new baby or the new puppy for a great reason: they bring out the nurturing, caring side of our personalities.

Babies on the TV do one thing: THEY SELL.

Theme? "Old McDonald Had a Farm"

Live farm animals to pet and have as ideal photo opportunities. Sack races. Tractor pulling. Jam making. Pie baking. Hayrides.
Tug of war competitions. Egg and spoon races. Sheep dog trials. Police dogs sniffing out bad guys. Local canine partners for life people on board with the cute puppies. Peaches and cream. Cook offs. All of these things have huge HUGE pulling power if managed well.

This kind of event has got Ye Olde Country Fair stamped all over it and these kinds of events remind people of the good old days, of John Boy Walton, and of mom's apple pie.

And do you know what else happens. These events MAKE MONEY.

But, if you MUST exclude the little, jammie-faced, snotty-nosed, bubble-drooling recipients of this event.

How about a costume party. Theme? Roaring Twenties.

Fancy dress on a theme is MANDATORY, or else you don't get in, whether you've paid or not. Advance ticket sales only. No admission on the day, at the door, or at the gate. None. Clear?

Why? Exclusivity, dear heart, exclusivity.

Keeps out the riff-raff (they do so lower the tone), and also gives the event more pull when the Hufton-Tufton Smythes have THEIR tickets but the Shand-Lddingtons do not.

Flaper girls, Charlston dances. A live, 20s style band, Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians crooning in the background, Champers on ice. Live jazz. Waxed mustaches, and an evening that would make Jay Gatsby weak at the knees.

if you're going to exclude children, make your event Biblical in its glamour and glitz. The boat must be pushed out and not just kept out, but sunk under the weight of the glam and bling.

If you're going to include children, make it a day of Christmas, Disney World, birthdays, and Easter egg hunt all rolled into one.

However you do it, do it well, do it big, and engage local radio, TV, and press WELL BEFORE to drum up interest. People won't buy if the idea's dull.

To create buy in, you've got to whisk your audience away from the here and now and ENTERTAIN them. Give them astonishing value, then pour on more, but this time, put a cherry on the top.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA