I have to admit it…I don’t always see what I am looking at. A colleague and friend, Matt Michel, CEO of Service Roundtable, and I were having a conversation about marketing. During the course of the conversation he asked about my training progress for my latest marathon. Matt commented that one of the things that plumbing and HVAC contractors should take advantage of is putting flyers in race bags. I just looked at him.
Of course, that makes total sense. Runners are into clean water and clean air. I know, I’m one of them. I started running at the age of 44 and ran my first marathon three weeks before my 46th birthday.
What better way to very inexpensively promote your products to a group who definitely can use them? And I promise you, in all of the small and large races that I have run and all of the race bags that I have received, I’ve NEVER seen a flyer from a plumbing or air conditioning company.
What I am proposing is not for the major races and marathons. These are the local races in your communities that need support. Your message will be read by people who live in areas that you want to target. You’ll be different and I promise (at least until this article is published) your competition won’t be in the same place you are.
Most local races have a hard time raising money. We started a 5K Race for Literacy two years ago and it’s been tough to get the sponsors and support that we need. For a few hundred dollars, which would be gratefully received, you probably can get the race bags stuffed with your message…and maybe even your company’s name on the race T-shirt as a sponsor. Your advertising cost at most would be $1 or $2 per recipient.
Since your flyer would be new and novel to the runners, they would actually stop and read it. They have an interest in staying healthy so your message would be received well and you’ll probably get some telephone calls.
What does this have to do with marketing? There are people along the sides of the course cheering you on. Why not wear running gear with your company’s logo and information on it? You’ll be seen by the runners and by spectators in your community. Questions will get asked. You’ll be perceived as doing something good for your community, especially if you are running for a cause such as literacy or children.
If you want to go to extremes, have your business cards with you and pass them out to people who ask. However, most runners don’t have anything to put your business card in. It’s better to put information in their race bag and tell them to look for it after the race.
Sponsors of local races usually get mentioned in publicity for the event. The race co-ordinators often mention the sponsors as part of the benefits of becoming a race sponsor. You often get your company’s name mentioned on radio, in print, and on television. Your company will be associated with doing something good for the community. Potential customers who won’t normally go to the race will get exposure to your company’s name…all for the cost of a few hundred dollars.
The question is, what non-work activities are you involved in that can potentially help your business? I’ve been a runner for many years and I would have never thought about sponsoring a race and putting information in race bags. The opportunity was staring me in the face and I never saw it.
What marketing opportunities do you have in front of you that you aren’t seeing?
Look closely and act on them!