Marketing 101 for Entertainment Companies
by Sandi Cottrell

for American Corporate Entertainment Magazine

What is “Corporate Entertainment”? Who are the buyers? How can an entertainment property communicate effectively with the multitude of potential customers in the corporate and special events marketplace? A respected colleague often says, “Marketing is like trying to catch fog in a bucket.” to describe the elusiveness of the concept. How true—the mere mention of the word “marketing” gives some of us a vaguely uneasy feeling.

Do you have a written marketing plan with clear objectives, strategies and tasks? Okay…so it’s as painful as writing a university term paper the first time you endeavor to design a plan. But the process is easier each year as you learn what works best for your product. It’s simply good business to create a plan and live by that plan.

What’s in your marketing “tool box”? Consider these areas:

Advertising

Publications (like this one) that specialize in corporate entertainment and special event planning are distributed to a targeted market. It’s impossible for you to contact all of the potential buyers that receive these magazines through any sales and marketing strategy, other than advertising. Advertising has been extremely effective for my client, Imagination Entertainment. I have been involved with the firm for 3 years, and in that time, the company has doubled their bookings each year, which is remarkable considering the industry-wide downturn of 2001/2002. I believe there are many reasons for this, including a fabulous product. However, a major component of this success is continued commitment to thoughtfully-placed advertising. Ads in targeted publications consistently produce new clients for the company. Many of the Imagination Entertainment’s bookings are direct results of an ad that appeared on a client’s desk at the moment they were thinking about entertainment for an upcoming event.

It’s a mistake to randomly purchase one ad here and one ad there. Brand recognition is only created through consistent and repeated placement of strong, attractive, and targeted advertisements. Review editorial calendars and place your ads in issues relative to your product. And don’t forget to include your web site address in a prominent graphic. A well-planned advertising program may be the best investment you make. Look at it as a sound investment.

Web site

This is a no-brainer. A good web site is a necessity—it’s your calling card. Is yours user-friendly? Does it tell your potential clients what THEY want to know about your product, or is it full of nothing but marketing rhetoric? Corporate planners want to know “just the facts, ma’am”. The best entertainment web sites contain video clips of the entertainment and lots of photos. Additionally, case studies of past success effectively build customer confidence in your abilities to meet their needs.

Your web site may be beautifully done, but is it working for you? Have you made an effort to optimize search engine placement? If your customers can’t find you, your web site is not doing its job for you in your marketing strategy. There are many ways to elevate the ranking of your site in the search engines. Some strategies require hiring consultants, some require payments to the search engines. Others are free. Your webmaster should be providing sound advice in this area. A key factor in this complex maze of internet presence involves the verbiage of the title and first few sentences on your home page. This verbiage must contain a strong statement accurately describing your business. Search engines examine this to rank the relevance of your site as it relates to key word searches.

Your web site requires continual updates with current news about your company. Don’t hide your news items on a back page. New information about your entertainment product should appear prominently on your site. And…don’t forget to look at your “visitor stats” on a regular basis to learn what’s working, what’s not.

Direct mail

Direct mail gets results now more than ever. Since so many companies now focus on marketing electronically, your clients receive fewer pieces. Consider oversized postcards or other self-mailers that don’t require the recipient to open an envelope. Great graphics and effective use of color capture their attention. If you send a piece that stands out on a potential buyer’s desk, you’re building awareness of your product, and increasing the possibility that you will get their next call for entertainment.

E-Newsletter, email blasts

Permission-based e-newsletters and email blasts are effective when sent to subscribers on a regular basis, building awareness and branding. With eye-catching graphics and interesting stories, you’ll be delighted to learn how many of your clients are sincerely interested in what you have to say. Don’t make the mistake, however, of writing dry copy that’s strictly sales material. Include interesting stories about your staff, or anecdotes about recent performances. Make it a piece that readers look forward to receiving because it’s humorous, interesting, informative and gives your company a “human” touch.

Consider working with one of the e-newsletter services that offer attractive graphic templates, terrific reporting systems and tools for maintaining subscriber lists. There are many good services available including Constant Contact http://www.constantcontact.com/ and Blue Hornet http://www.bluehornet.com/. By all means, avoid spam and work at building legitimate subscriber lists instead. Internet service providers are increasingly aggressive about “blacklisting” companies that proliferate spam.

Trade shows and industry events

If you venture into the arena of attending industry trade shows know that 1) It’s costly. And 2) You can reap tremendous rewards through attending the right trade show by planning ahead effectively, and following-up creatively. There are so many trade show options--so be extremely selective. Each show attracts a different audience. Talk to other exhibitors. Learn as much as possible about the buyers that attend the show before participating. This isn’t an article about trade shows…I could fill pages on this subject, having been the “trade show queen” for more years than you or I would care to count. One piece of advice, though: Don’t assume you will walk away from a trade show with firm bookings. Think of the show as an opportunity to solidify relationships you’ve been building through your other sales and marketing opportunities, such as telephone solicitations. In a business where relationships are everything, no amount of email messages and telephone conversations replace face-to-face meetings.

PR/Media relations

Don’t forget to keep the editors of industry publications and web sites informed of “what’s new” at your company. New entertainment products, an out-of-the-ordinary event concept, or a client case study is always of interest. You cannot buy the kind of brand awareness that comes from a terrific article profiling your company. It’s well worth the investment of your time to stay in touch with these influential folks.

Needless to say, I’ve only scratched the surface of a successful marketing program. And while many of these concepts are very basic…all of us are so busy with the cycle of sales/service that we forget or procrastinate. As 2004 approaches, why not take some time out from your busy day-to-day schedule, and create a marketing plan that truly drives your future success?

Sandi Cottrell is President of Sandi Cottrell & Co. a management and marketing consultancy. Sandi has more than 30 years of experience in event planning and marketing in this highly specialized field. In her role with Imagination Entertainment, she oversees the company’s marketing strategies. Other clients include destination management companies, meeting planning firms and event production companies.