The 7 Deadly Sins of Community Marketing

Notes from Business Retention & Expansion International Webinar

Nearly all communities in North America were founded on either transportaion or natural resources, as such are currently looking for their "Second Act."
30,000 states, provinces, counties, districts, cities, towns and villages in North America...All competing for tax dollars, jobs, and a piece of the economic development pie
"Drowing" in a marketing overload where by 97% of all community-based marketing is ineffective
We are now exposed to 5,000 marketing messages a day

Ask yourself if you have ever gone anywhere because they had something for everyone?
Too many communities and businesses stuck in "group hug or membership mentalitiy"
Cannot be all things to all people to win in today's marketing efforts
To win, you must narrow your focus which you must stick to with the highest determination and confidence on what makes you different or clearly better
MUST jettison the generic
The Rule
- Don't be all things to all people. Promote the primary lure. Find your niche and promote it like crazy.
The narrower the focus, the stronger your success will be
Something for everyone will result in mediocrity and ultimate failure. Memberships can kill your marketing efforts.
"Better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond!"

Cannot do branding by public consent. Build brand on feasibility, not just local sentiment.
Focus groups are never the way to build a brand
Creative services usually don't get it
Cute and/or cleaver rarely works

Remember to always ask:
- Does it make you want to go there?
- Does it close the sale?
Why should I visit, buy or invest?
Importance in preceding order:
- Why
- Who
- Where
- What
Tell me WHY I should choose you, then WHO you are, WHAT you've got, and finally WHERE you're located

Stand out from the crowd and grab attention
5 times as many people read the headline as those who read the body
- 80 cents of marketing dollar spent on headline
Evoke Emotion, make a statement, and hit an emotional spot
- This will create top-of-mind-awareness (TOMA) and a call to action
Top three inches of a brochure are critical and must promote the experience
Use bold fonts
Yellow on a dark background grabs viewers the best

Promote experiences first, place second and outline the difference
Overall, visitors don't care about regions, counties, districts, cities or towns
Interactivity, not passive things to look at
Focus on people not places
Processional Photos
- People
- Evoke emotion
- Forget boundaries
Video is the best way, but again must show difference or clearly show superiority
"Sell the rapids, not the river"
For economic development:
- Sell the experience or opportunity not land, building or infrastructure
Forget boundaries!

"It's Showtime! What are you doing this weekend?" - Call to Action
People more than place
Shopping and Dining as a brand?
- Walnut Creek, U.S., pop. 60,000: over $1 Billion in revenues from shopping and dining

90% of North Americans have access to the internet
- Of those, 94% use internet to decided travel, live, work, establish business
On internet searches we type experience first, place secon
- E.g. Car shows near Toronto
86% of internet searchers don't go past the 2nd page of results
70% of advertisers are frustrated with their planning via web
- Why? Busy promoting physical attributes over experience
Search engine optimization should include opportunities
Provide specifics over generalities
Web is the #1 marketing priority but needs to be good enough to close the sale
88% of destination marketing and economic development organizations spend more on printed materials rather than on the web
Recommended budget:
- 45% internet
- 20% public relations media brand building
- 20% advertising to drive people to your website
- 10% on collateral print materials
- 5% outdoor, tradeshows etc.

Repetition gets results
In the age of speciality, marketing needs to go for niche markets
Better to have ads in the same spots over and over again
- E.g. Promoting amazing scenic drives in 2 or 3 car and driving enthusiasts magazines
Jettison the generic and find your niche
Tell why and get the attention
A bi-product of marketing for the people is the committee that compromises and kills a potential marketing home run
In the end you MUST deliver on the promise

Sell the opportunity and where to find it and be specific!
Membership Challenge
- CEO typically spend 80% of their time dealing with membership and fundrasing, and 20% on getting businesses involved
Tourism is your door
- Investors come first as a visitor
E-Newsletters are good; however need to have relevant importance; otherwise you will have a hard time getting 5% of viewers to actually read
Can promote multiple angles but an overall theme should be present
- Secondary branding should be geared towards overall theme and niche
For changing leadership and focu groups' perceptions, best efforts should focus on grass roots rather than top-down and narrow focuses

[email protected] for any questions

Nathaniel Puffalt, Business Coordinator

Saskatchewan South East Enterprise Region Inc.