The Main Event

With the right imagination and a modest budget, events can be a great way to do grassroots
marketing and generate buzz.
by Kevin Morrill

Atkins Farms Country Market is renowned for its lush apple orchards. The New England farm stand’s gourmet foods business has earned a reputation among aficionados looking for unique products or specialty baskets. But Atkins Farms has really made a name for itself these past few years by hosting a variety of shindigs, from Texas barbecues to its annual Doggie parade. These sought-after events not only build relationships and increase foot traffic with Atkins Farms' existing customers, but they’ve also been a draw for new clientele.

“We do our darndest not to be a grocery store,” says Pauline Lannon, president of the 100 year-old farm stand, in Amherst, MA. “We use events to keep us unique and give us a distinction you can’t find with a chain store.”

It’s not every store, certainly, that extends an invitation to man’s best friend. At Atkins Farms’ annual Doggie parade, however, the public is encouraged to bring their pets to a daylong outing of competitions and trainer demonstrations, not to mention a canine buffet where pets can chew on doggie biscuits and other specialty goods, available, of course, just a checkout counter away. Atkins Farms’ packed events schedule is not just about dogs. There is an annual Easter egg hunt for the kids, gingerbread house and scarecrow-making workshops for families on the lookout for quality-time, weekend activities, and the annual New England Sampling, where people flock to the store for tastings and to mingle with the local producers of their favorite foods.

Like Atkins Farms, many small companies are getting a taste of how effective events can be in boosting business. With a little imagination, some resourceful partnering, and a modest bit of cash, events can be a powerful vehicle for grassroots marketing and to help generate new streams of business—whether immediate or in the future. They can also be the catalyst for some great local press. “Events can be a great way to gain visibility, gain a reputation for innovation, support charities you care about, and build the reputation of your place of business,” says Shel Horowitz, principal of Accurate Writing & More, a Hadley, MA based consulting company focused on affordable marketing for small businesses, and the author of Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World.

The biggest misconception regarding events, according to Horowitz, is that they have to be huge spreads with lavish setups to entice hordes of people. A better approach, experts say, is to create a smaller occasion that is targeted at a specific audience you want to attract. By keeping the event contained, small businesses can be assured they’re getting the most mileage out of their marketing dollars and, ultimately, enjoy more success.

That’s not to say, however, that planning and hosting an event is not a major event in itself, especially for entrepreneurs already overwhelmed by the day-to-day rigors of running a business. There are plenty of details to iron out, any of which could derail the gathering at any point in time. Getting the right publicity, or publicity of any kind, is another big challenge. Event planners suggest aligning your event with a local charity as a means of generating possible sponsors and local press coverage. Finally, even the best-planned event for the right cause can be a disastrous disappointment if there isn’t a well-thought-out strategy for getting people to attend.

Stop the Presses

Horowitz has first-hand experience that a little ingenuity can make the most modest events budget go a long way. When launching his book on frugal marketing tactics, Horowitz planned a book-release party on a budget of a mere $100 and change. Horowitz talked the local library, which conveniently housed Calvin Coolidge’s archives (the man known as the frugal president), into letting him have a room for free to host his event. Horowitz catered the affair himself, spending days cooking up all kinds of goodies. But perhaps his most clever tactic was enticing the local media with press releases that touted the event as practicing the message of his new book. His game plan worked: Horowitz had a great turnout, attracting more than 70 people. Even more important, he caught the eye of the local media, which churned out three feature stories on the party, which in the end, helped to boost book sales. “We turned it into a news event,” he says.

Miramar, FL-based Eden Florist (www.edenflorist.com) has taken to establishing partnerships with causes as one way to boost attendance at events and to generate news. Twice a year, the florist aligns with the local mobile blood bank on a blood drive in the front of the store; the days coincide with Good Neighbor Week in September and to commemorate National Blood Drive week in January. Eden Florist gives a bouquet to anyone who comes in to donate blood, and the blood bank covers the cost of promoting the event, which is a draw in itself because people want to participate. “It’s a way to increase traffic to our place of business, but we’re also doing a good thing,” explains Heidi Richards, owner of Eden Florist and also the self-proclaimed chief goddess of Speaking with Spirit Inc., a consulting company specializing in small businesses, start-ups, and women entrepreneurs.

Sponsoring events is another way a small business can profit from an event without having to shoulder all of the cost. Awards ceremonies, charity golf tournaments, or dinners are always looking for sponsors, Richards says, and oftentimes these events are covered by the local press without the small business having to do any of the outreach legwork. “Hosting an event can be time consuming,” Richards explains. “This way, you still get almost the same recognition.”

Given her predisposition toward marketing, Richards hasn’t shied away from hosting her own occasions. Actually, she’s gone as far as to take an event she dubbed, “Get Out of the Doghouse Day,” and established it as a registered holiday listed in Chase’s calendar of events (www.chases.com). Now, every third Monday in July is “Get Out of the Doghouse Day,” a holiday Eden Florist promotes by a public relations blitz to drive traffic to its store. Months before, Richards conducts a survey asking people how they got into the doghouse. She tabulates the results of that survey and issues press releases on the findings. She also gives out roses to everyone who comes into the store that day, hosts a contest for the best and worst doghouse stories, and has her employees, dressed in dog costumes, make the rounds at the local newspapers, TV, and radio stations handing out “dog biscuit” cookies. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it, Richards says. “Sometimes we don’t see the results right away, but months from now, they remember me,” she says.

Of course, not every event is done with an eye toward generating press. Chameleon (www.chameleonarts.com), a gallery shop in Newburyport, MA, hosts its annual Art Salon weekend to provide exposure for the wide range of artists and artisans it represents and to cultivate a certain reputation and aura for the store. The Art Salon, which takes place over a weekend in October, is held at the country home of one of the co-owners, where a group of customers and prospects are personally invited to drink wine, dine, and view art in an intimate setting. “We wanted to harken back to the days of the wonderful French salons in Paris,” says Christopha Fitzmaurice, Chameleon’s co-owner who has opened up her home to hundreds of her clients.

Fitzmaurice and her partner pay close attention to every detail of the event, from the quality of the refreshments to how paintings are hung and tagged with information about each artist. Even parking is carefully orchestrated so attendees are assured of an enjoyable and relaxed experience every step of the way. “From the moment people start to arrive outside, we want to set the tone for their experience,” Fitzmaurice says. “It’s an unusual thing to see artwork in a home. We have people sitting on furniture and looking at it in a comfortable way. It also creates a high-energy party atmosphere.”

The atmosphere appears to be working. Chameleon has been hosting the Art Salon weekend for six years, and each year, it grows to be more of a success. Now, a couple of hundred people attend the opening night gala, and sales of artwork, artisan crafts, and jewelry are brisk during the weekend. There’s also a residual effect from the event. Even if someone doesn’t buy anything at the party, they often resurface months later, on the hunt for a particular piece of work they saw or to express interest in a specific artist. Fitzmaurice and her partner hand out programs complete with the various titles and bios of artists displayed so people have an impetus for follow-up on a later day. “The Art Salon not only put us on the map for our artwork, but it also brings people into the store,” she explains. “It’s helped to build a reputation for us—there are now artists desperate to be part of Chameleon.”

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